An Unlikely Pair
by ilovewarriorcats123
Summary: Flora and Tecna come from completely opposing worlds; Linphea thrives with nature, and Zenith runs entirely on technology. However, the two of them form a strong duo, so strong that their differences, if anything, complement it. But when Valtor attacks, throwing all the realms out-of-balance, their very friendship is tested. How far will they go to save the world? / Season 3 AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Omega Portal

**Hello, everyone! Welcome to my new story, ****_An Unlikely Pair _****(AUP)! It will be posted concurrently with my other story, ATIS. I am very excited to share with you my rendition of Winx Club Season 3! This contains spoilers for everything up to the end of Season 3, so please don't read unless you've watched the first three seasons.**

**Unlike ATIS, this story is fairly straightforward, following the Season 3 plotline (with a few twists, of course) in a much more in-depth Winx Club universe. Please enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 1: THE OMEGA BREAKOUT

"School's out!" Musa called as they ran down the steps of Alfea. They wore their bikinis, looking forward to a final day together before they all parted for winter break.

"Hey, guys!" A voice called out. Flora looked up and saw a girl with bright red hair waving at them, her black halter-top contrasting against her pale skin. She waved at them all, but her smile seemed to extend especially towards Flora.

"Mirta!" Flora cried. She ran up to the girl and they both hugged tightly, as if they hadn't seen each other at all the past year. Mirta had gone with them on their trip to the Resort Realm, and it had been she who had helped Flora restore the Flower of Life. She pulled back slightly and gazed lovingly into her girlfriend's eyes.

She would have kissed her, had it not been for her friends behind, who didn't know a thing about Flora's sexuality. The only other people who know are Chatta and my parents, so let's keep it that way. She drew back and turned towards the other girls.

"Mirta, come join us!" Bloom called. "We're going to stop and get pizza, then we're going to the beach."

"Yes, let's go," Flora agreed. "I haven't seen you since the end-of-year party."

Mirta looked a bit hesitant, and Flora could understand why. Her girlfriend was rather insecure, especially around the Winx. It was not for nothing that the six girls were at the top of their class. Mirta, on the other wing, had just completed her transition from witch to fairy, and would only be starting at Alfea this upcoming school year, as a freshman. She was understandably nervous about fitting in with the new culture, and the comments she might get from other girls. She squeezed her girlfriend's hand.

"Don't worry," she said quietly, so only Mirta could hear. "The Winx aren't like that. We understand you. Respect you. Please come with us."

"Sure," Mirta finally conceded.

Just then, a golden chariot burst in through the Alfea gate, pulled by six white stallions. Bloom and Musa darted out of the way, and Layla cartwheeled to the side. The other four girls looked upon the chariot with fright. The chariot ground to a stop right in front of Stella, who was squealing her head off.

"What is the meaning of this?" Flora heard Griselda's outraged yell. The hook-nosed, ill-tempered woman stood on the steps to the school, her hands on her hips as she glared down at the chariot. "I was not informed of this. Who are you and why have you come?"

Stella finally looked up. When she did, her jaw dropped. "Sir Marco!" she cried.

"Stella, did you charter this chariot?" Griselda asked severely.

Flora craned her neck to get a better look. The man was tall and mustachioed, with hair just as golden as Stella's. He tipped his hat to Griselda.

"My apologies, signora," he said in a Solarian accent. "I am Sir Marco Vanzetti of Solaria, member of the Royal Guard. I was sent to deliver a message of utmost importance to Her Royal Highness the Princess of Solaria. I assure you she did not know I would come."

"Well, what is it?" demanded Griselda.

The man turned to Stella. "Greetings, Your Highness. As you know, your eighteenth birthday is coming up on Sextmensis 18."

"Unfortunately, during school," Stella muttered.

Flora recalled that Stella was the second-only Winx, second to her.. Her birthday was during the summer months in Magix, but that also coincided directly with school. Flora was the only Winx girl whose birthday fell during vacation; all others had birthdays during the school year.

"Under normal circumstances, we would celebrate your coming of age then," Sir Marco said. "However, due to the calamities that the Magic Dimension has been faced with for the last two years, your father believes that you should not return home on that day. Therefore, His Radiance the King of Solaria has decreed that your Princess Ball shall be held on Quadrimensis 13, approximately two months-and-a-half after you return home."

"Already?" Stella cried out, startling Flora. "This is so awesome!" She began to dance around.

"Umm"… Musa voiced what everyone else was thinking. "What the heck is a Princess Ball?"

"It's a tradition upheld in some kingdoms to signify the coming-of-age of a princess," Layla explained. "My realm has that tradition, too, though the age of adulthood in Andros is sixteen." She sounded forlorn. Flora remembered that, until she'd met the Winx girls, Layla hadn't had any friends. _Must have been a dull experience, not having any friends to share it with._

"You've all got to come to this!" Stella exclaimed. "I can't wait to share it with you all! I'm going straight home now, so we can check out the Solarian fashions! You've all got to come home with me" –

"But I'm going home to see my parents," Bloom protested.

"And I was gonna hang out with Layla," Musa added.

Flora looked over at Mirta. Mirta was going to be coming with her home to Linphea, and spend the break with her.

"Okay, yeah sure," Stella said impatiently. "But you'd all _better_ be there a week before the Princess Ball starts."

"Wait a second, I can't come," Tecna suddenly said. "I've got to go home."

"What?" Stella gasped. "Not even for the Ball?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to be home," Tecna said firmly.

"Tec," Stella pleaded, "you can't miss this opportunity! You've got to come! It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience! You" –

"No!" Tecna cut her off. "The answer is no." She began to walk off, the other girls staring after her.

"What's up with her?" Musa wondered.

"I dunno, maybe she really can't go," Layla answered. "You don't need to be so aggressive, Stella. Just let it go."

"I wasn't being aggressive!" cried Stella, stung. "I was just inviting her to my ball. If that's so wrong" –

"It's okay, Stell," Bloom said, putting an arm around her friend's shoulder. "I think we should just let it go."

"I'll go talk to her," Flora said. Not waiting for an answer, she ran towards Tecna, who was storming off.

"Tecna," she called, running up to her pink-haired friend. "Do – do you want to talk? You don't have to, but if you need someone, you" –

The girl turned around, her face carefully devoid of emotion. Flora knew Tecna well enough to know that it was a well-trained façade she put up whenever under stress. After all, she was from Zenith, a realm where efficiency was valued over emotion. Sometimes Flora wondered whether Zenithians were actually human, or if they were just duplicates of the robots they relied upon.

"I'm fine," she said, rather stiffly.

"No, Tec, you're not," said Flora softly. "Just tell me what it is. Why were you so upset? You" –

"I didn't mean to show that," said Tecna, a bit of color coming into her face. "I mean – I apologize."

"No Tecna, that's not what I mean," said Flora. "I just don't understand. We've been friends for so long – all of us. And yet, you don't want to come to the Princess Ball with us. You've never come to visit us in our home realms during any vacation. Why not?"

Now Tecna's face changed – from a colorless, expressionless façade to a sardonic mask. "You think I don't want to come?" She let out a bitter laugh. "Believe me, Flora, I would if I could. But I have to be with my family. It's simply not logical to go to the Ball when I have duties to attend to at home. I have to go."

"Tecna, why?" Flora pleaded. She didn't know why Tecna was acting like this. Ever since she'd confessed her feelings to Timmy that autumn, she'd become more open about herself. But it was times like this, especially when anyone started asking anything about her family, when she simply clammed up.

Flora knew nothing about Tecna's family. Even after all these years, it was a highly guarded secret, something Tecna couldn't talk about. It was kind of like how Layla had been so nervous initially, stuttering and apologizing for everything.

_But Layla is different_, Flora thought. _She's scared of being left alone. Tecna _wants_to be left alone. And she's always so secretive about everything. This isn't good for her._

"Look, Tec," she said, "I know things have been hard for you, even though you haven't as much as said so. But if you ever need a friend, well, I'm here. I'll always be here for you, Tecna."

For a moment, a surprised look appeared in Tecna's electric blue eyes, the eyes that always appeared so emotionless all the time. But it was quickly replaced by her usual expressionlessness, and she responded with barely a whisper, "Thanks."

"All right then," Flora answered. "Do you want to go back and join the others?"

"No." The response came back sharp and brittle, and Flora pulled back in surprise. "Sorry," Tecna muttered. "I mean, I have to go back now. My parents need me. I – I'll see you in Trimensis when school starts."

"Bye, Tecna," Flora called softly. She could've sworn she'd seen a tear in her friend's eyes as she pulled away.

* * *

The girls went to Kunti's Pizza, Bloom and Stella taking up the front. Stella was chattering nonstop about her Princess Ball, and the others followed, content to listen.

Flora was happy for Stella. She was always so cheerful; even though she could be insensitive at times, she did have her friends' interests at heart. She deserved something fun and relaxing after their long battles.

"This pizza totally rocks," Musa exclaimed.

"They make it so crispy and nice," Flora agreed. Since they came here so often, the man behind the counter already knew their orders without having to ask them. They usually got two pizzas between the other five Winx. Since Flora was vegan, she couldn't eat pizza; however, the pizzeria did have a flatbread with tomato sauce and olives. She usually got a slice of that, something Stella never ceased to laugh at.

"Hmm, you're hyping it up so much," Mirta said, eyeing Flora with a mock-glare. "It'd better be as good as you say it is."

"Order number 19032," the man called, giving them two boxes of pizza. Stella immediately walked up to him, and extended her arms to take it.

"Thank you," another voice said, and a short girl wearing a purple dress grabbed the boxes. Stella immediately turned around, enraged.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "That's our pie!"

"Not anymore," the girl said coolly.

Flora and Mirta exchanged uncomfortable looks. "Uhhh"… Mirta said, looking scared. "Where did she come from?"

"And why's she taking our pizza?" Flora added.

"I've been waiting here in line just as long as you," the girl retorted. "It belongs to me and my friends. The service here is so slow." She rolled her eyes disdainfully, the five girls behind her following suit.

"Yeah, because they make pretty darn good pizza!" Stella snarled back. "And it's ours, so give it back. I _paid_ for that pizza!"

"Why don't we split it up?" Bloom asked the girl in the purple dress. "You give us one box, and you keep the other. We can eat that while we wait for them to make two more boxes."

It seemed like a logical solution – _Tecna would probably be impressed_, thought Flora, feeling sad as she thought of how Tecna had been forced to go home by herself. But Stella and Purple Dress weren't buying it. Stella glared at her, and lunged for the boxes of pizza.

But the other girl had a firm hold on them as well. The two of them fought, pulling with all of their might, neither one letting go. They pulled until the boxes flew in the air – the top one towards Stella, the bottom one towards Purple Dress. They screamed as they both fell to the floor, sauce, cheese, and pie on their clothes.

"My Spella McCarthy!" Purple Dress wailed. "I don't believe it!" She glared at Stella, and then stood up. "_Banishus_!" The red mass flew off of her dress and into the trash can.

"_Stainus removus_!" Stella shouted. The spattered imprint on her orange crop-top disappeared.

"What are you, Alfea girls?" Purple Dress asked disdainfully. "Is that why you're dressed so tackily?"

"You're not ones to talk about tacky!" Stella retorted, eyeing Purple Dress and her friends with disgust. "That dress is so last millennium. You look like a prude."

"Yeah, well, you look like a vamp," Purple Dress retorted. "And definitely from Alfea. We're from Beta Academy." The other girls nodded enthusiastically.

"Chimera's the top in the whole school," one of the girls said, pointing to Purple Dress. "Beta is where we learn the real stuff. Alfea is a dumping ground. You guys are just wannabe" –

"That's enough!" the man behind the counter barked. He had kept silent this whole time, but now he looked enraged. "You girls have spilt sauce all over my parlor. I'm not serving you any more pizzas the rest of this winter. Either get out or I'm calling the Magix Police to remove you by force. Are we clear?"

Flora and Mirta didn't wait. They both ran out the door, Musa, Layla, and Bloom following close behind. Stella was still there, arguing with a very furious pizza man.

"But that was _my_ pizza!" she cried.

"STELLA!" Bloom yelled. "Come on!"

"Oh, all right," Stella grumbled, but not before giving Chimera a livid glare as she raced out.

"We'll find another pizza place, don't worry," Musa said. "For now, I say we go hit up that beach."

* * *

"Come on, let's hit the waves!" Layla called, racing towards the sea in her bright green bikini. Bloom and Musa followed suit.

Stella stared at the waves in distaste. "I'm gonna go and get a tan," she said. "This sun feels so nice and warm, and it's filling me up with so much energy. No icky water for me, no thank you."

She left. That left Flora and Mirta sitting under the shade of a tree, near the grass. Flora gazed towards the sea, where Layla was surfing effortlessly over waves, and Musa was unsuccessfully trying to join her. Bloom was swimming, grinning over at the other two as they both stood on their surfboards, one with more balance than the other.

Flora reached a hand over the tree and stroked it lovingly. Similarly to how the sunlight gave energy to Stella and the sea's motion gave energy to Layla, Flora absorbed her power from all plants and trees. She was Linphean, after all. She closed her eyes, relaxing on the exchange of energy that she gave to the tree and the tree brought her.

"You're really connected to them, aren't you?" Mirta's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Flora opened her eyes and looked back to Mirta. "Yes, I am," she said. "The same way I'm connected to you." She gazed down at Mirta's slender figure, her white skin under the black swimsuit with neon pink stripes. Reaching a hand back, she stroked Mirta's exposed back. "That swimsuit looks great on you, by the way."

Mirta blushed, her cheeks becoming red. Then her face became fearful. "Stop, someone might see." She pulled away from Flora.

"No one's looking," Flora whispered, tucking a strand of Mirta's neon red hair behind her ear. "There's too many people on this beach between us and the other girls, and they're too busy having fun anyways." She frowned at her girlfriend. "So, you're sure you don't want my friends to know, right?"

"I don't want to," Mirta whispered. "If we're open about it, everyone will hate us. In Whisperia, gay people are branded as perverts, and the government does nothing to stop routine discrimination. I don't think it's much better in Andros or Zenith. Besides, some of your friends come from very conservative backgrounds. I just want to keep it between us for now, okay?"

Flora nodded. "I won't do anything you're not comfortable with," she said, looking into Mirta's indigo eyes. Truth to be told, she had doubts about telling her friends, too; she didn't know how they would take the news. "Are you sure you're okay with coming home to Linphea with me? Speaking of which, what did your parents say?"

Mirta shifted uncomfortably.

"Well?" Flora pressed on.

"I haven't told them yet," Mirta admitted. "I can't have them know I'm a fairy, and I can't let them know I'm bisexual. They'll be furious if they find out either" –

"They don't even know you transitioned?" Flora was shocked. "Mirta, I thought you'd told them!"

"I – I didn't," Mirta looked ready to cry. "I knew if I told them, they'd do everything in their power to stop it. Headmistress Faragonda paid the medical expenses for the transition, with the promise that I'm going to work in the kitchen during the year. I have to work at Alfea anyways, in order to pay for my tuition."

"That – that's" – Flora breathed. The second part didn't shock her – she and Bloom anyways had to work in the kitchen, along with several of the other girls who weren't covered. But she couldn't believe that Mirta still hadn't told her parents. "Are – are you sure that they" –

"I'm sure," Mirta interrupted her. "They think I'm staying the summer on an internship with Griffin, just like last year. I'm so sorry I lied to you, Flo. I shouldn't have, but it was just so hard, and I didn't want to" –

"Don't worry about it," Flora said quietly, putting her arm around her shoulder. "You've been through so much one year, Mirta. The transition is so hard to make – you could've died through that process! But you're safe now, and alive. That's all that matters."

"I couldn't have done it without you," Mirta sniffed, leaning over and hugging Flora.

The action sent a tingle through Flora's back. She extended her hand over, gently stroking Mirta's half-exposed back. _She's so sweet…_ She wanted nothing more than to kiss Mirta at that moment, to relieve all of her problems –

A shout pulled Flora out of her moment. The two girls pulled back, turning their heads towards the sea. Everyone around them was standing up, craning their heads for a look.

Musa was running into the sea, followed by Layla and Bloom. She was panting as she ran against the current of the waves, and called, "Are you alright? What's going on?"

"Let's go," Flora said, pulling Mirta to her feet. Mirta squeaked in surprise as Flora ran towards the waves, dragging her along. The two girls made it to the sea, and Flora stared down at the thing – or rather, the person – that Musa was pointing to.

It was a mermaid, clearly exhausted. She had a red tail and a suit of armor over her upper body, and her blue eyes filled with alarm. She was panting as she looked at Musa.

"Dame Chen?" Musa asked, while Layla turned the mermaid on her side so that she could rest in a more comfortable position. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, what's happening?" a voice called. Flora turned and saw Stella running towards them, her orange bikini bright against her skin. "What's going o" – She stopped as she saw Chen lying in the wet sand. "You poor thing! What happened? Are you alright?"

"I was sent to find you, Musa," Chen panted, ignoring Stella. "Harmonia's in trouble. I was told that you need to stay here, that" –

"What?" Musa's voice shook with shock, and Flora knew that she was barely containing her emotions. "Why didn't I receive a text from someone?"

"The entire Realm Wide Web is down," Chen explained. "They said that some portal was opened, and that it blasted a whole set of neural networks in the Harmonian region. You must stay here, though. That's why they told me to come and" –

"I'm coming," Musa interrupted. "Don't even try to stop me. If Dad's in trouble, I need to help him. I need to" –

"You're needed to guard the princess!" Chen protested. "Her Royal Highness is being sent to Magix for her safety. You need to be here to make sure she's all right" –

"Princess Galatea?" Musa gasped.

Flora recalled that Galatea was Musa's first cousin, as Musa's father, Hoe-Boe, had formerly been the crown prince of Melody. He'd given up his title in order to marry Matlin, a commoner who played rock music. At the time, rock had been a very shocking style to the conservative nobility of Melody, and they'd looked down upon it as Earthian-influenced music, music that they saw as primitive. Hoe-Boe and Matlin's albums had proved very popular amongst the common people, and were slowly starting to gain traction in other realms as well. Hoe-Boe's brother, King Jun, was the father of Princess Galatea, who would inherit Melody's throne one day.

"Yes," said Chen, urgently. "You need to stay here. This means no vacation plans as of now. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay put."

"Okay," Musa nodded.

"I'll stay with you," Layla said. "The pixies will keep us entertained. Princess Galatea's parents have a hotel room booked, right?"

"Yeah, probably," agreed Musa. She turned towards Chen. "What exactly is happening in Melody?"

"The portal to Omega has been broken open," Chen said urgently. "We believe that a breakout has occurred. Melodian authorities are trying their hardest to contain it, as well as minimize civilian damage, but we do not know what the situation is as of now. And no one knows why or how it happened."

"Oh, no," gasped Musa. "That… that's horrible. What are we going to do?"

"Just stay put," Chen said. "We're doing our absolute best to have the situation under control."

"Thanks, Dame Chen," said Musa. "You'd better get back into the sea."

"Yes," gasped Chen, and Flora recalled that, while merpeople's gills lasted longer in air than fairy lungs did in water, it was always better for them to be under the surface. "Catch… you… lat"… She dove under the sea and turned around.

"What are we going to do now?" Musa asked worriedly.

"We have to go home," Bloom said. "All of us have flights booked back home, and we can't stay. But tell us how things are going, Musa. Update us now and then."

"Yeah," agreed Stella. "And they'd better find whoever it is who broke out."

"I sure hope so," agreed Flora. Fighting interrealm criminals was not high on her priority list. _I just need to make sure Mirta is okay. She's been through too much stress already._ She gazed at Mirta, who had a worried look in her eyes.

"Come on," Flora said, putting her arm around Mirta. "The plane departs in three hours. We have to be at the spaceport." _Come, let's get you home._

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**I want to give CurlyValkyrie a shout-out; they are my beta-reader. Thank you very much, CurlyValkyrie, for helping me edit this story!**

**Updates will likely be on Sundays, along with ATIS. If anything changes, I will let you know. Often, I forget to update on Sundays, but if that happens, I'll post during the week.**

**Thank you very much! I hope to see people in the comments' section!**


	2. Chapter 2: To Zenith

**I forgot to update this Sunday, so here it is! Enjoy!**

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CHAPTER 2: TO ZENITH

_Long ago, Zenith used to be a peaceful realm, filled with life and happiness. The people thrived in their innovations, and took pride in their kings and royalty. Although their realm certainly wasn't perfect, they had confidence that they were headed to a bright future._

_But that all changed in the Age of Blood. In 16002, a few months before the start of the Fifth Dimensional War, Zenithian peasants staged a violent coup on King Nikolai, the last monarch of Zenith. The people could only watch helplessly as their government changed, right before their eyes._

_Centuries of dictatorship followed. The communist dictators all pledged to end disparity between social classes, only ended up making the situation worse. They destroyed freedom of the press, banned anything related to capitalism, and put thousands of people in concentration camps. Everyone knew better than to fight back._

_Zenith is communist no more. However, the dictatorship still lives on, well-alive in the hands of Premier Medea…_

Tecna woke up with a jolt. Her breath came out in sharp gasps, and she stared at the ground, terrified of what had just gone through her head.

_What was I thinking? _Saying such things were grounds for arrest in Zenith – even _thinking _it was a crime. The textbook from History of the Realms was still fresh in her mind. _If I said something in my sleep aloud…_

She glanced anxiously around the spacecraft. Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed; everyone else was sitting silently in their seats, a dull, glazed look in their eyes. It was the look Zenithians always possessed, what they'd been programmed to do. _And how I should behave, too._

Around her was total silence. Tecna had no one for company, not even Digit, the pixie who had always brought life and chatter to her day. And for a long time, she would've preferred it this way; solitude was the state she preferred, the state she'd been programmed for.

Until two years ago. The Winx, her closest friends in the world, had taught her how to feel, how to do something other than work and still find fulfillment. And Digit had been one of the best friends she could have asked for.

But then she'd got that fateful call that morning, the one commanding her to return to Zenith early. It meant she couldn't enjoy vacation like her friends, couldn't go to Stella's Princess Ball at all. Family always came first. And so did Mr. Vasiliev's work.

APPROACHING REALM OF ZENITH, the words flashed across her vision. TEMPERATURE 10.6 DEGREES CENTIGRADE BELOW ZERO.

She reached the Zenith Interrealm Spaceport, in the province of Elektrichestvo. It was this planet where electricity had been first harnessed as a source for technology. Of course all people across all realms had known about electricity before; Fulgur, the realm of weather, predominantly ran off of electrical, hydroelectric, and turbine power. But it was Zenith where the Realm Wide Web had been invented, and later the Winx Wide Web and Witch Wide Web, respectively, for fairy-beings and warlocks. It was one of the reasons why Unified Zenithian was the third-most spoken language across the realms, second only to the Common Tongue and Magixian.

She climbed into a driverless taxi and sped down the road. The Zenithian Fortress was to her left, a formidable mass of black steel, surrounded by robots and drones. It was there that Premier Medea resided.

The taxi continued down the road, through the capital city of Kremniy. They were in the Upper District of the city, with beautiful, gleaming buildings. Only the wealthy and middle-class could afford housing here, of course – the Lower District was for the poor people. They lived in buildings that were made of _wood_, or at best, _brick_, materials that were known to be primitive. In the Upper District, every house was made out of steel, and personal robots (as well as a few lucky Lower District people) polished the houses from dusk to dawn.

Tecna had always pitied the people of the Lower District. Although Zenith was a very strong industrial nation, its poverty was infamous across all realms. But there wasn't much she could do. Speaking out against the government was forbidden, and often a death sentence.

The taxi rolled to a stop at Tecna's house. It was a large mansion, with immense towers of steel and completely polished glass windows. The façade, as with all Zenithian buildings, was black; no color variation was allowed in any Zenithian house. From her history books at Alfea, she'd heard that the regime had once tried to control hair-colors, too. However, pink, purple, and blue were natural hair colors, and it was impossible for any regime to forcibly distribute black hair-dye, not in a realm that numbered nearly twelve million in population.

Arriving home should've brought Tecna a sense of solace. And in fact, it almost did. There was a time when coming home brought her a sense of security and relief, as a home should. _But then I went to Alfea…_

"There you are," a man barked. Tecna looked up and saw her father, speaking harshly in the language of Unified Zenithian. Tecna bowed to him and climbed up the steps to greet him.

Her father was a man of few words. A pioneer in the field of electrical-engineering, he was a hard worker. However, this also meant that he pushed Tecna to aspire to the same. His austere face was enough to force her to complete whatever task was required of her.

Since birth, it had been drilled into her head: _work hard. Get top grades, apply for a high-ranking school, and above all, never stop working. _She had learned her first computer programing language when she was four, and now knew all of the major languages, as well as how to hack into any site or get any computer to start working again. A feat that would've sounded impressive, if not for the fact that most of the kids she'd grown up with knew how to do it, too.

She couldn't understand why her friends found her technological literacy so impressive. Sure, she knew how to program, but so did nearly every family she'd interacted with at home. Any child born in a middle- or upper-class family in Kremniy was expected to learn computer programming. After all, it was the future in Zenith; much of its economy ran on it. The children competed to get into the best private schools, and from there, to the best universities. In those select universities, only the most erudite were chosen to work for the royal service – the highest honor any student could hope for.

"Come on inside," another harsh voice called, this time female. A tall woman with straight purple hair was standing in the doorway, a disapproving expression on her face. "Your luggage just arrived here."

_Of course_, thought Tecna. _High efficiency. _It always disoriented her, upon arrival in Zenith, how fast everything moved. She was used to the annoyingly slow pace back on Magix, where there were no advanced algorithms.

"I had the drones scan and unpack your things. I don't know where you bought those clothes from, but I do _not _want to see you wearing them! I don't know how you think it's acceptable to go around half-naked. Do you hear me?"

Tecna's cheeks flamed. _Why didn't I just leave them back in my suite? _She would never have bought those clothes on her own, had it not been for months and months of Stella's nagging, and the fact that they simply looked chic. Only after Stella told her they would make her more attractive to Timmy had she finally caved and bought herself a purple crop-top and tight black pants. And she _had _become more attractive to Timmy, but not because of the clothes. No, it was because they had bonded over their trip to the Resort Realm.

_Oh Timmy, where are you now? _Tecna thought, squeezing her eyes shut. The Magixian boy had wanted to spend time with her over the summer, and have her over at his place. Tecna, already knowing what her parents would say, had declined.

"Do you hear me?" Tecna's mother repeated.

Tecna shook herself out of her reverie and looked up at her mother. "Yes, Mother," she said. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Good," her mother said, giving her another hard look. "Now, go to the laboratory. Mr. Vasiliev has some work for you, and you need to complete it by tonight."

"Yes, Mother," Tecna said automatically, and then walked down the hallway. "Goodbye." She headed out the back door, and then into the yard. Finding a robotic car, she climbed in, quickly selecting the location of the lab and letting it take her there.

As the car zoomed down the road, she thought about all of the rules she had broken in her past two years at Alfea. She had done so many stupid, immature, and downright illogical things. She'd interacted with so many girls, girls who spoke so freely without any fear of repercussions. Tecna couldn't imagine talking to or about her parents like that. Shockingly, she'd made a group of friends, even though her parents had warned against making friends. But worst of all, she'd gotten a boyfriend, who happened to be the love of her life.

_I shouldn't like him_, she thought, waves of guilt washing over her. After all, marriage in Zenith wasn't based off of _love_ – the very idea sounded ridiculous to her. Her parents' marriage had been arranged based off of their wealth, and only after both of them had completed college. It had seemed absurd that anyone could marry just because they liked someone – at least, until last year.

Now all Tecna wanted to do was to be with Timmy. To have his arms around hers, to play video games with him and Digit, to spend time tucked up under a cover with him and watch a movie. Just the simplest things sounded so appealing – and yet, she knew it wasn't possible.

_Now I know why my parents didn't want me to go to Alfea. _Though they'd been happy that she'd gotten admission, they'd been hesitant to send her, on the fear that their daughter would be susceptible to "unbecoming influences". It had only been when the Alfea Recruitment agent had visited their house, persuading them that Tecna was qualified for it, that they'd acquiesced and let her go, on one condition: no boys. And she'd kept with that condition – at least, until last year.

_I can't think about him_, Tecna reminded herself. _I have work to do. I can't keep thinking about him._

She reached the laboratory's gate. It was Igor Vasiliev's laboratory, and she worked there. Mr. Vasiliev was working on a top-secret project that even Tecna didn't know about. Tecna had been selected as one of the programming staff, and she'd been working there since she was nine. Her main job was to oversee the computers' statistical scans and make sure that they were doing their job. Her father said that it was good life experience for when she graduated Alfea and came back to Zenith for graduate school. Not to mention, it would raise her status immensely as well.

She grimaced, thinking of all the tasks she'd have to do in the lab – all of which didn't involve Timmy or her friends. _I wish I could go with them and get some pizza… _But that was completely out of the question.

_Stop it_, she forbade herself. _Why am I thinking such things? _She needed to banish such thoughts out of her brain. She was here to _work_, and nothing else.

"What's the four-digit passcode?" a voice above her head said.

Tecna blinked, then remembered. "2048," she said. The gates opened, and she walked inside.

To enter the lab, she had to send a ray of her magical energy into the sensor. The sensor was able to catalog the magnitude of each fairy's power, and as each fairy was different, it was a good way to keep track of who was who. There was also a facial recognition scan, which she passed easily, then entered the building.

The interior was shiny and metallic. It was a huge laboratory, triple the size of Alfea. There was internal transportation to different sections of the lab, where different people worked. Tecna was about to get onto the transport, when an android walked up to her.

"Anastasia Ivanova," it said in a monotone, emotionless voice, similar to the voice that she was often accused of speaking with. For a moment, Tecna didn't respond, then she remembered. _Anastasia. _It was her proper, legal name, although not the name she'd applied to Alfea with. _I'm Anastasia again. _She swallowed as the robot continued speaking. "I have been sent to perform the routine medical checkup and make sure your internal software is working."

_Oh right. _"Thanks, Sammy," Tecna said. She'd named all of the robots when she was twelve, not that they knew, of course.

"Follow me," Sammy said, and she followed the android to a medical room with computer screens on all four walls. They glinted back, reflecting her figure in their black, mirror-like form.

"I need you to undress," Sammy said. The door dead-bolted, and she added, "I have locked the door for extra privacy."

Tecna stifled a laugh. _There's nothing private about this place. _Nevertheless, she stripped off her layers one by one, until she was standing completely naked, gazing down at her right side.

On the left side of her body, she looked completely normal. Her leg and arm was made out of flesh, and so was her head and neck. She was very white, particularly because she spent much of her time indoors, but other than that, there was nothing abnormal about her.

But there was a line exactly down the half of her body. Her spinal cord was made of metal, and so was her right arm and leg. Her brain was also enhanced with neural networks, and she had an actual computer inside of there, one that could scan and record activities at an inhuman rate.

When she was eight, she had been in a hover accident. The details were hazy, and she couldn't recall much of her life before then. All she knew was that after the accident, she was a cyborg. The car had flipped on its right side, which was why she was more disproportionately affected there. She'd lost her leg, her arm, severed her spine, and damaged her brain. Which was why she'd had to have the surgery, a surgery that replaced much of her body and, essentially, made her into a robot.

Being a cyborg was a source of shame in Zenith. It gave her the emotion of a person and the abilities of a robot, which was helpful most of the time. But there was also lingering resentment against cyborgs, particularly since they were more easily able to perform motor tasks than regular people. As a result, many pointed out that it was unfair that a person should be able to advance farther in the work sector, just because she had an ability that was naturally enhanced.

Tecna could understand why many people felt like this. But what they didn't realize was that much of what she'd learned wasn't innate ability. It had come through laborious years of practice and hard work.

_And yet, I'm still not good enough_, she thought sadly. _I still keep on screwing up. _She had always prided herself on her calculations, her ability to deduce and decide through reason and logic. And yet, she'd made some very poor decisions last year. She'd mistakenly identified Avalon as the Angel of Doom (even though he _had_ turned out to be a traitor) and her mistake had caused the Trix to get the Codex in Cloud Tower.

_I caused so many mistakes last year, and it's all because I kept losing control. I kept on thinking about Timmy, when I should have been thinking about my duty, my duty to my friends and my school. _She clenched her fist.

_No more. I cannot allow myself to slip up. I cannot keep on making mistakes. Timmy's going to have to take the backseat for now. _The thought sent a wave of sadness through her, but she ignored it, continuing to gaze up at the screen.

The screens around her scanned every part of her body. The android walked to the main computer and connected herself to it, no doubt synthesizing the information. Tecna could feel the transfer of energy between the several computers, and the main computer to the android. Finally, Sammy disconnected herself, printing out a slip of paper. She handed it to Tecna.

Tecna looked down at the paper. A green check-mark was next to everything. _Good. _The android handed her clothes back.

"Let me know when you want the doors to be opened," she said.

Tecna gazed down at the covering she used to disguise her arm and leg. It was a fleshy cover, and felt like regular skin at touch; however, it was illegal to wear one in Zenith. _We have to be labeled at all times… _It _was _legal to wear one in Magix, though, and she'd never taken it off once in her stay at Alfea.

There was a reason why she barely hugged any of her friends, and it all came down to one word: _cyborg. _Although the flesh-covering was extremely good, there was always the chance that it might slip, revealing her for who she was. That, and the fact that hugs were an alien concept in her household, except for the occasional one-arm squeeze on birthdays. She wasn't all that comfortable with people touching her.

"Have a nice day," Sammy chirped as she finished dressing, walking out of the door.

Tecna gazed at the screen ahead of her. It was filled with the usual propaganda, all stories about Zenith's glory and strength. All of this she was used to; it was very common to see in Zenith. However, there was something she saw on the screen she hadn't seen before: a sign that read TALKS WITH LINPHEA.

Tecna halted. _What's going on?_ Why was Zenith talking to Linphea?

She closed her eyes and focused on her internal brain wiring. Her computer connected to the Web, and she focused her eyes.

_Linphea_, she commanded the computer to look up.

Immediately, information popped up on her screen. Zenith's Web was, unfortunately, very censored, and she wished she'd found the information in Magix. _But I didn't know… _She sighed and chose an article online.

_Talks with Linphea largely successful, Zenith emerges victorious_

Tecna knew enough to know that this headline article was crap. Zenith had never had good relations with Linphea; Linphea had been a Zenithian colony, after all. Even after Zenith had backed off, it had never stopped trying to exert its control. None of the other members of the UR would do anything about it, for they feared Zenith just as much as everyone else.

Nevertheless, Tecna scanned through the article, trying to find the information she desired.

_On 8 Trimensis 1012, Her Magnificence, the Great Premier Medea Alexandrova spoke with Queen Rachel of Linphea. Their talk was largely successful, with Linphea agreeing to eliminate its tariffs on produce._

_ "__I believe we can look towards a bright future," said Mr. Aranov, spokesman for Premier Alexandrova._

_Since her ascent as head of state in 937, Premier Alexandrova has done nothing but good for the Zenithian people. She has given grants to workers, stabilized the economy, and stood up for Zenith's prestige in the world. She has also tackled the Linphean issue head-on, stopping the greedy Linphean farmers from charging exorbitantly high rates for their fresh produce._

_As for the Premier herself, she has some words of wisdom for her citizens._

_ "__Don't worry about anything," she says. "Our economy is safe, and in good hands. We, the Zenithians, are taking back the glory we once had as Emperors of the Magical Dimension, and we will soon be victorious once more. In the meantime, everyone keep doing your work for the good of your Motherland!"_

_All hail the Great Premier! May she rule for a thousand years!_

The last two sentences were printed in every news article. She swallowed hard, wondering what was going on.

_Maybe I can contact Flora and find if she has any information. _If she had the time, that was. A transport machine zoomed up to her, and she heard the automated voice: "Where do you want to go?"

"Programming wing," Tecna said automatically, sitting in the cable car. She zoomed down the alley, until, after a few minutes, she'd reached the wing she was looking for.

A robot greeted her, by the name of Mischa. At least, that was what Tecna called him – not that the android had any concept of gender, of course. He nodded to her and escorted her down to the wing.

"Good day, Anastasia," he said. "I have some work for you." He pointed to the screen. "Log on."

Tecna picked a cable out of the drawer and motioned for the robot to hold it. "Plug this into my control panel," she ordered. The robot lifted her shirt, reached her electrical sockets in her back, and plugged the cord in.

Tecna gasped at the familiar jolt of electricity running through her back. _I'm connected to the computer now… _The computer's feed popped up in her brain almost instantly, prompting her to log in.

She never did this at Alfea; after all, people would notice if she had an electric cord sticking out of her back. But here, at Zenith, it made her jobs a whole lot easier. She was able to connect wholly into the computer, coding directly from her brain. She logged in, and instantly gasped.

REPROGRAM BIOTECH ROBOTS, the feed flashed across her brain. REROUTE WIRELESS IN COMPUTER 3459. REPAIR SET 67395505.

"Mr. Vasiliev expects you to be done by tonight," Mischa stated, and then left.

Tecna sighed. If she ever lagged behind on a task, Mr. Vasiliev would punish her and have her stay on task. It had only happened a few times, but those times were unpleasant enough for Tecna to know that failure was not an option.

_I'd just better get started_, she thought. _And make sure I do my job. _Sighing, she sat down and began to work.

Her fingers clicked the keyboard as she fixed algorithms, changing different sequences. Panting, she typed as fast as she could, trying to get to the next task.

_I have to finish this. _She remembered the times when she had been on a mission for Alfea, and rerouted the spacecraft's computers with Timmy. _Timmy… _That adorable cubby face, those tender eyes…

_Stop it_, she scolded herself. _Not now. I _can't _think about him now. _Her fingers wobbled as she continued to type, one sequence after the other.

_This is all there is now…_

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed this part! Yes, in this story, Tecna will be a cyborg. There's also a lot more going on, so stay tuned!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Linphean New Year

**Hey everyone and welcome to the next installment of AUP! This chapter mainly follows Flora and Mirta to Linphea and establishes their relationship. I hope you enjoy reading about the cultural details of Linphea!**

**Guest: ****Yes, I like the whole idea of Tecna being a cyborg. They kind of tried to make her seem like a cyborg in the Rai version, but it didn't work too well. Yes, I love Flirta, as you called it, as I think they work really well together. There's going to be a lot of it in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 3: THE LINPHEAN NEW YEAR

The land was beginning to be reborn. Trees were just beginning to bud, and a hint of green was in the grass. The air was cold, but alive with the first tang of spring.

"Here we are!" Flora exclaimed, climbing down from the convoy and giving Mirta a hand. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is," said Mirta in wonder, gazing around. "I love it."

The sight of Linphea at first glance never failed to amaze Flora. The early spring was her favorite season**;** everything was just beginning to come alive. It reinvigorated her powers, making her feel more awake than ever before.

Alfea, Cloud Tower, and Red Fountain always let out at the end of Trimensis, the third month of the year as according to the United Realms' Calendar. In most realms, the third month of the year was spring.

According to the United Realms' Calendar, the Linphean spring also came in the third month of the year. However, local people used the Linphean calendar, where spring came in the first month. Right now, it was the last month of the year, the month of the fast. Other realms also had seasonal disparities with Magix. She knew that it was also summer on Earth, Bloom's home realm; in Stella's and Layla's realms, Solaria and Andros respectively, it was always summer. In Tecna's realm, Zenith, the opposite was true; it was always winter.

_I can't wait to be home_, thought Flora. She couldn't wait to introduce her girlfriend to her village, to teach her their traditions, to see her family friends. A new adventure was in their grasp…

"How far is your house?" panted Mirta.

"Just down the street," Flora said. She looked at Mirta with concern. "You're not tired already, are you?"

"Just a little," gasped Mirta. "I – should – be – fi" – Her words ended as her knees gave way on the grass, and she collapsed.

"Let's get you a transport," Flora said. She whistled for one, and a flying ladybug, the size of a van, landed next to them.

Flora helped Mirta to her feet. "Look," she said, gently pointing her girlfriend forward. Mirta looked up, and her eyes widened.

"That's a giant" – she gasped.

"Ladybug," Flora finished for her, grinning. "Don't worry, they're really friendly – most creatures here are, honestly. Come on, get on and it'll take us home."

Shakily, Mirta pulled herself onto its back, and Flora climbed in the front. "Head east, in the direction of _Bosque Iztel_," she said in Linphean, pointing to the dark forest ahead of them. "We need to go to the village of Iris. And please be slow; we have a tired passenger."

The giant animal rose into the air and began to head in the direction opposite of the setting sun. Mirta clung tight to Flora's back, though there really was nothing to be scared of; Flora had never known of anyone that had fallen off a ladybug's back.

"Sorry for being such a pain," Mirta gasped.

"Don't worry about it," Flora responded. "You're just tired from everything that's been going on. I think this trip will be perfect for you."

"This place is beautiful, though," Mirta said, gazing around. The aerial view made the terrain stand out even more, an earthy land that spring was just starting to kiss. "You live in such an amazing realm."

"Thanks," Flora smiled. "I knew you'd love it."

She gazed down at the landscape. She was the only one of the Winx girls that didn't live in a city. Stella, Layla, and Tecna all lived in the capital cities of their respective worlds, and Bloom and Musa lived in small coastal cities. But Flora's family lived right in the heart of nature. It made sense; after all, her mother was a priestess, and it was her job to tend to the natural world around her.

Her family was also fairly poor. They didn't own a very large house, and they didn't make much money, as her mother was a priestess and her father was her assistant. Her extended family on her mother's side lived with them, including her grandmother and great-grandmother. Linphean families were matrilineal, meaning that a woman always welcomed her husband into her family, not the other way around. However, her great-grandmother would soon be departing to the City of Trees, where she worked.

After a few additional directions from Flora, the ladybug landed in front of their house. Her parents immediately came out of the house, tailed by Flora's little sister, Miele.

Flora's father, Rodrigo Fernández, had a lively twinkle in his eyes, the same twinkle that Miele always carried. He was a short man with reddish-brown hair and brown eyes, and skin notably paler than Flora's. He was always good-natured and outgoing, and had a loud voice. Flora, however, took more after her mother in both looks and personality. Sacniete Fernández, named after the white Linphean valley flower, had the same honey-brown hair, brown skin, and forest-green eyes as Floras. She was also much more reserved and serious, and was a thinker, as expected by a member of the priesthood. Though she never raised her voice, she was the authority of the house, as were most Linphean mothers in their households.

"It's good to see you," Flora's mother said warmly to Mirta. "I'm so glad to see that Flora's finally put herself out there and let herself find a special someone. She wouldn't settle for just anyone, so you must be special indeed." Mirta's cheeks went bright pink.

"Welcome to our family," Flora's father agreed, shaking Mirta's hand. "I'll assist you up the stairs." He half-dragged, half-carried Mirta into the house.

Flora followed, wanting to make sure her girlfriend was in safe hands. But before she could enter, she was met with a wide hug.

"_Abuela_," she gasped, fighting to breathe as she stared down.

Rosada Fernández beamed up at her. Her skin was light brown and she had silvery hair that reached past her shoulders. She was three-hundred years old, her mother's mother. She was wearing a white robe, the attire of a priestess, and was smiling wide.

"My _florita_," she said. "How good to see you." Her green eyes became wide and teasing. "I hear that you have a special someone?"

"Er… yes," said Flora, trying to get past her. "I'll catch up with you later, I've got to" –

"Don't worry," _Abuela_ Sacniete laughed. "Your girl is fine. Your mother is taking care of her." Her eyes twinkled. "You don't need to be so" –

"Impatient and hasty?" a voice interrupted. Iztel Fernández, Flora's ever-cranky great-grandmother, walked up to them. She was shorter than her great-granddaughter, and was also dressed in a white robe. Her white hair was in a staunch bun, and she walked with a cane and a hunched back. Despite that, she was very alert, and quite sharp as well.

"Watch your step coming into the house," she chided Flora. "I don't know what they teach in that school over there. The graceless manner of rushing out and going to defeat every single villain that ever existed? I've always said that you need to become a priestess, young 'un. We learn something _useful_, something that doesn't involve beating people down."

"They learn how to defend the Magical Dimension at Alfea," _Abuela_ Rosada reminded her mother. "A very valuable skill, if you ask me. The school is run by the most-skilled fairies in the realms."

"And by the corporate power of the United Realms," _Bisabuela_ snorted. "I'd sooner trust a Venus fly-trap to not eat my finger than those tycoons. They might as well make a united government and sell all of our civil liberties, that's what they should do. We'd be subservient to the great powers of Magix and Zenith." She shook her head. "No, I was against it from the start. Learning profound magical ability takes _time_, and is not something that happens overnight."

"We learn so many things at Alfea," Flora protested. "We learn how to defend ourselves, form great friendships, save the world" –

"Ha!" _Bisabuela _snorted. "All warriors ever do is cause misery! Zenith has invaded Linphea so many times, not even historians can remember. Now, _Linphean _warriors are honorable; they know not to conquer and maraud. But you are born into a good priestly family, girl, and you should not be a Linphean warrior, much less a UR one! The United Realms is the worst organization ever created – all they ever do is dominate us lesser realms so Magix and Zenith can always be at the top"…

Flora restrained a groan; _Bisabuela _never lost an opportunity to rant about the UR. Founded after the Fifth Dimensional War, it'd spurred a new age, the Age of Unity. Not all the realms of the Magical Dimension were in the UR; however, for the thirteen member states, it had been instrumental in averting crises and wars. Unfortunately, it also meant that realms such as Linphea were subservient to more powerful nations.

"Mamá, please do try to tone it down," _Abuela _protested gently. "Flora's guest is likely sound asleep now; we do not want to wake her."

"Oh yes, I forgot," _Bisabuela _muttered. "At least you have the sense not to spurn warlocks for who they are. The UR is made by fairies and for fairies only – another reason why I spit on it. It's just one of their ridiculous moves to gain more power for themselves"…

"Speaking of Mirta, I think it's best I go check on her," Flora said quickly. "She's had a rough day."

She escaped quickly. From behind she heard _Bisabuela _grumble, "Now why are youth so impatient these days?"

Flora sped through the tiny cottage to her room. Two twin beds were in the room: one was Flora's, and the other was one from their tiny guest bedroom. Mirta lay on the other bed, her eyelids fluttering sleepily. A teapot and two cups were on Flora's nightstand.

"Your room is beautiful," said Mirta, lifting her head; Flora followed her gaze. A potted _florita de iris _was on the windowsill, shining all of the colors of the rainbow. It was Flora's favorite flower, and had been since she was little. That was the only decoration in the room; after all, priestly families were supposed to live very ingenuous, frugal lives. And yet, the simplicity made it sweeter than a room in a royal palace.

"I'm so ready to fall asleep," Mirta yawned. "The air coming from that window is so nice and" – She immediately broke off, snoring like a baby.

Flora walked up to her, spreading the comforter around her shoulders. She kissed Mirta's forehead and then went to her own bed. There was no sound, except for the chirp of the birds and Mirta's sound snoring.

"Sweet dreams, Mirta," Flora said softly.

* * *

That following week, Flora took her out every day to walk around the countryside. Mirta turned out to be an excellent artist, and sketched pictures of birds and plants that she saw. The _Bosque Iztel _was also a good place to explore, and they always found something there.

Flora had always been the outdoorsy type, as were most of the people she knew. She'd spent her entire childhood exploring this forest, observing the birds and flowers. But she had never gone out with a friend. At most, she had gone with her little sister Miele, but she was only ten years old, and therefore wasn't allowed to go out too far on her own.

But now she had someone to share it with. And that made it all the more fun, a warm spark to Flora's normal leisurely days.

Her girlfriend greatly enjoyed the food of Linphea. There were fresh vegetables and fruits in every meal, fresh Linphean bread, and plenty of delicacies that Mirta came to love. It was the last month of the year, in which Linpheans fasted from dawn to dusk; Flora had observed the fast while at Alfea. However, Miele was a child, and wouldn't observe the fast until puberty; Flora's grandmother cooked for Mirta along with Miele, too. Mirta had said she would observe the fast, but Abuela refused, telling her that after she'd gone through such a harrowing transformation, it was safe for her to eat properly.

Mirta became close with Miele. In fact, she became a favorite with all the little ones, telling them stories of her adventures in Magix. To the children, her status as a biological witch was irrelevant; all they cared was that she was kind and told them stories. She treated them with the love of an older sister.

However, that didn't mean things were perfect. Many of the older Linpheans, more conservative, distrusted her. A few flat-out avoided her. The first week of their vacation, no one had dared say anything against Mirta, for everyone feared Bisabuela. But the Saturday after they came home, she departed for the City of Trees, despite her daughter's protests that she retire and stay in Iris. And once she left, there was no one to hold the villagers back.

Flora tried to shield Mirta from the gossip. But Linphean villages bred very strong gossip vines, and Mirta soon heard what the villagers had to say.

"I don't get it," she said one afternoon, when they were in Flora's room. "I thought Linpheans were the kindest people in the realms."

"No realm can be perfect," said Flora, frowning at Mirta. Her girlfriend sounded unusually somber; she hadn't been this way since her transition. "Are you unhappy here?"

"No!" Mirta exclaimed. "Your family has been so unbelievably kind to me, and so many of the villagers are so nice! It's just – the ones that aren't make life difficult." She looked unhappily at her feet.

"Peace, _niñita_," said Abuela, entering the room. "I know it's hard to see, but Linphea is changing. With the rise of the Realm Wide Web, people are starting to change their perceptions. But history's roots run deep – you see, there's a rather ugly reason why people here don't trust warlocks."

"Why?" Mirta asked.

"Before the Age of Discovery, Linphea only comprised of fairy-beings," Abuela explained. "In Year 1 of that Age, when Prince Josef of Zenith flew in the first-ever successful space voyage, he discovered Linphea. The Age of Discovery, as you know, was the time when all realms were discovering space flight. Linphea was – and still is – very tribal and rural; compared to the giant of Zenith, it was vastly underdeveloped.

"The other realms took advantage of our lack of production. They sealed unfair trade-agreements with us, and started skirmishes in our realm. Many warlocks came here and preached their religions to us; when we refused to follow them, they attacked. Yet, they were unable to subjugate us. For the trees in our realm have a mind of their own, and they protected us from harm."

"Your _trees _protected you?" Mirta asked in amazement.

"Yes," Flora smiled. "When provoked, the trees here _move_, Mirta. They can trap foreigners in cages and slash their branches at people. But even the trees cannot stop foreigners from settling here if they wish."

"So the warlock missionaries settled here," Mirta answered. "And all the warlocks who still live in Linphea are descendants of those missionaries."

"Correct," Abuela nodded. "Now fast-forward to 730 of the Age of Blood. At that time, Zenith, along with Whisperia, Magix, and Domino, had grown into a fearsome empire. Linphea was still independent, but not for long. Zenith staged one of the bloodiest invasions in the history of the realms, the Linphean Invasion, killing a sixth of Linphea's population. The priestly families were attacked the most, as they were the largest group of intellectuals. When the trees rushed to defend us, their robots destroyed them, using some of the most advanced sorcery at the time. Fairy and warlock lords ruled both in colonial Linphea.

"But it was the warlock lords who were feared the most. For centuries, these warlocks had faced subjugation in their native realm of Zenith. And now, when they had the chance to subjugate others, they took it with a vengeance. Such is our nature – when we face oppression, instead of trying to help those weaker than us, we take it out on them in an attempt to build ourselves up. And we could do nothing about it, for without our trees, we were completely powerless to fight back."

"Wow," Mirta breathed. "How did Linphea gain independence?"

"The Linphean Resistance Movement started," Abuela explained. "Paz Gonzales was their leader. She was a wise woman – instead of fighting the Zenithians with hate, she tripped them with love. The Resistance Movement was an entirely non-violent movement, an attempt to peacefully end colonial rule."

Flora had heard this story a hundred times, but somehow, hearing it with Mirta by her side made it even stronger. _Paz Gonzales was the champion for the weak and the dueler to the strong… _What Abuela had said about the oppressed becoming the oppressors had never happened to Gonzales.

"Of course, the Zenithians weren't about to let this movement continue. A great battle started, in which they massacred fifteen-hundred Resistance Warriors in the Valley of Shimmering Flowers. Gonzales was also murdered in that terrible battle."

_The Day of Bleeding Hearts_, thought Flora. That day marked the massacre, and always fell on the new moon in the middle of the fast; no Linphean partook of any food that day. She remembered that year's Day of Bleeding Hearts, where she'd done the sacred rituals in her dorm room at Alfea, when Musa had slammed her door open and announced that Bloom had been captured by Darkar.

"The Resistance Movement died after Gonzales' death, but by then, other realms were paying attention. The realms that were under Zenith's yoke began to rebel, and the realms that weren't part of the Zenithian Empire began to object to Zenith's appalling treatment of the Linphean people.

"After Gonzales' death, her daughter, Ixazalvoh, rose to power. She learned of the secrets of natural restoration, a skill highly revered by priestesses and only achievable by few. With the help of her followers, she began the Restoration, a process in which they revived the trees and plants of this nation. Linpheans soon found their power-sources again, and the Zenithians finally ended their reign over Linphea."

Abuela finished her tale; Flora gazed over at Mirta. She looked completely, utterly stunned.

"Wow," she whispered. "How is Linphea's relationship with Zenith now?"

"Rocky," Abuela answered. "You see, Zenith has still been harassing us about trade. It is trying to make us enter unequal trade agreements. Linphea has been trying to stand firm on that issue, but we can't for so long."

"Why not?" asked Mirta.

"For one, we rely on Zenith for technological exports," Abuela explained. "However, Zenith relies on our agricultural produce, which is the reason why we're even having this trade war in the first place. Unfortunately, the nation that makes manufactured goods always gets to dictate the pace of trade, not the nation with the raw materials."

"So why doesn't Linphea just industrialize more?" Mirta suggested. "If it's so far behind other nations, why can't it build itself up?"

"It's not as simple as that," Abuela frowned. "It's all about a value system, Mirta. The people of Linphea are poor, but we're happy being poor. We'd rather be simple and content than complex and miserable. That, I believe, is the secret to true happiness."

* * *

New Year's Eve had arrived. A time of joy and rejuvenation, the villagers would join together for a feast at the temple, celebrating the end of the fast and the beginning of the spring. The full moon promised to be exceptionally beautiful that night.

"You're gonna be eighteen, Flora!" Miele squealed, running into her room and grabbing Flora in a giant hug.

Flora smiled at her sister. It just so happened that tomorrow, Trimensis 20 (as according to the UR calendar) was her birthday. Her birthday usually came just before the New Year; due to the disparities between the Linphean lunar-calendar and the United Realms' solar-calendar, it was not always the same. She was excited for the ceremony tonight.

The entire day went by in preparations. While Flora's mother went to the temple to setup, Mirta, Miele, and Papá went to the temple-gardens to prune them and guide the flowers into life. This left Flora and Abuela together, cooking their family's portion of the feast for tonight.

"My little _Florita _will be all grown-up," Abuela laughed as she sautéed the _veduras oscuros_. "I still remember you from when you were a _bebita_. You were always so adventurous and carefree. There was the time when you climbed all the way to the top of a tree and fell, and a bird caught you just in time" –

"Abuela," Flora said, fighting waves of embarrassment. _Please don't tell Mirta about that… _One of the disadvantages of living with her extended family was that there was no shortage of embarrassing stories about her childhood.

"And now my _bebita _has fought all kinds of villains and monsters!" Abuela added proudly. "You defeated the Trix twice, and you defeated the Shadow Phoenix last year. Your bravery has made you into a true woman, _Florita_."

"Well, I hope there aren't too many adventures next year," Flora muttered. Melody had been stabilized in a week, and Galatea had been cleared to go back to her home. Still, not all the prisoners had been captured and sent back to Omega. The Melodian sages were trying to work on a way to close the portal, but they were struggling against its power. "Mirta needs time to relax."

"There will always be an adventure, Flora," Abuela said solemnly. "As long as you are in a high position of power, there will always be something. And I trust that, whatever it is, both you _and _Mirta will find a way through."

They spent the next few hours chopping, peeling, and cooking. At eighteen o'clock, Mirta, Miele, and her father came back from the temple and called the three of them to bring the food. They showered, dressed, and headed out of the house.

"You look beautiful," Mirta breathed as they headed out of the house.

Flora smiled at Mirta. Her girlfriend looked quite beautiful herself, wearing a traditional Linphean skirt and a flowing, open tunic that bared her midriff. The clothing was a golden-brown color made from tree bark and cotton, and she wore a simple necklace made with dark blue stones.

"Come on," she said, taking Mirta's hand. "It's almost dark."

It was only a short walk to the temple. The air was cool and pleasant, and the sun was approaching the horizon. Flora gazed around, marveling at how much greenery had sprung up in one week. They reached the temple and Mirta gasped.

Flora gazed up at the temple in wonder; every year, it looked more beautiful than the last. Mirta, her father, and the other villagers had done an excellent job of maintaining the gardens. The first crocuses were up, brightening the exterior of the temple with color. A string of candles hung over the temple, along with evergreen wreaths, to symbolize the cold of winter. Above those, the creeping _flores de tierra_ were in full bloom, to represent the arrival of spring. Their sweet smell wafted everywhere, and Flora breathed in the heavenly scent with the joy of new beginnings.

_They make this so wonderful every year_, she thought. The villagers of Iris were very close-knit, and not without good reason. Most Irisians were descendants of the Air Tribe, a tribe that had existed in the Age of Antiquity and Age of Discovery. As their religions had expanded, different sects of _Linphèanidad_ had popped up all around Linphea. There was _Cielidad_, which worshipped the sky goddess exclusively. There was _Vientidad_, which worshipped the wind goddess. And there was _Irisidad_, their religion, which worshipped the goddess of the rainbow.

Flora put her arm around Mirta's shoulder. She gazed up at the sun, which was just starting to set, coloring the horizon a beautiful orange. The sunlight glinted over the temple, making the flowers shine sweetly in the last light of day.

"Greetings, citizens of Iris!"

Flora looked up at the entrance of the temple. Her mother was standing at the top, wearing her priestly attire; a traditional, open white robe that extended to the floor. She wore a garland of flowers around her neck and the circumference of her head. She held a curved wooden staff in her right hand, made from the wood of the _árbol sabio_. Two other priestesses, Priestess Xoc and Priestess Colel, wore the same robe and garlands.

The chatter immediately died down. Flora's mother, as the priestess of their temple, was very well-respected and honored. Although the priestly caste was the highest caste, according to the old order, it was also the least numerous. In the many invasions of Linphea, priestly people had been targeted. Although the queens, members of the warrior-caste, were the official heads of their queendoms, it was the priestesses that posed the largest threat. Therefore, the population of priestesses across Linphea was greatly reduced; in the village of Iris, there were only three priestly families. Flora's was one of them, as was Colel's.

"We gather today," Flora's mother said solemnly, "to celebrate a sacred day to our ancestors. A celebration of Linphea, as a nation, and our gods, who made this possible."

Flora gazed at Mirta. There were still tears on her cheeks, but she was gazing up at Flora's mother curiously. She held Mirta's hand as her mother continued to speak.

"Tonight we end the fast that we have endured for so long," she continued. "For one moon, we have endured the pain of our ancestors, which we have needed to grow stronger as people."

Flora gazed behind her. The sun was now just at the horizon. She turned forward, and saw Linphea's moon, the _Luna de las Amantes_, rising in the air. It was a full moon today, therefore marking the end of the fast.

"Today is a celebration of independence," Priestess Sacniete added, "and a celebration of spring. It is the celebration of the Linphean spirit that lives within all of us, the spirit that never gives up." For a moment, her eyes briefly rested on Mirta. "And now, let us honor our ancestors!"

The sun had sunk into the horizon. A hush sounded across the crowd, and they observed a moment of silence for the battles of their ancestors. Three warrior-women stepped forward, heading towards the flagpole and raising the flag into the air. A rose-pink stripe on top, an olive-green on the bottom, with a white stripe in the middle. In the middle of the flag was the crest of the _árbol sabio_, the wise tree that had lived through Linphea all throughout her days.

And as the moon rose in the air, the flag bursting into bloom against the black sky, the people cheered, a roar of joy and freedom. Sacniete smiled at everyone.

"Now," she said, "let the feast begin."

* * *

"Come on," Flora said, leading her girlfriend to the table. Mirta gasped.

Brightly-shining insects fluttered around the table, illuminating it with a beautiful glow. The cool spring air brushed past them as they sat down, heaping their plates with food. And as always, there was an entire village full of food.

There was roast _chayote de primavera_, a rare type of Linphean squash that grew in the late winter and supplemented most fasting-diets. Heaping dishes of floral stew were on the table, cooked with fermented flower-petals and sautéed in a butter sauce. Fresh cream came from the _vacas de aire_, a type of nomadic cow that flew. Entire agricultural tribes had been built around them, and had travelled the planet following these cows.

"I know that Linpheans are vegetarian, and you don't eat meat," Mirta said, helping herself to cream and _papas azules_, "but why won't you eat any of the dairy?"

"My family is vegan," Flora explained. "Priests are generally much stricter than other families. We don't eat anything that could've possibly caused pain to an animal. We also don't eat any root-vegetables."

"The food looks good, though," Mirta commented.

"I'll say," Flora answered. She let out a sigh.

"Flora, what's wrong?"

Flora looked at her girlfriend in surprise. Mirta gave her the _don't try to fool me _look. "What's going on?"

"I really enjoy this festival, trust me," Flora answered, letting out a sigh. "There's something that's been bothering me, though."

"What?" Mirta immediately was alert.

"Well, I've been thinking about what Abuela said about Zenith," Flora answered. "Even after all it's faced, Linphea has been going on a steady trajectory upwards. As a nation, we're not very wealthy, but our people are generally happy and well-fed. But Zenith… it's never recovered from its problems." _And the relationship between our two nations is still terrible, too._

"That's because of its current system of government," Mirta answered. "Growing up in Whisperia, I never felt as if the government had any say in my actions or words. For all Whisperian society's faults, we had freedom of the press and a good government. But Zenith – it's a dictatorship. There is complete censorship, complete lack of freedom. Nothing matter except how many robots they produce."

"That's _so _true," Flora agreed – she'd never thought about Zenith in the way Mirta had said. "And the people there are so robotic too. Sometimes I worry so much about Tecna, because she's just so _closed _from the rest of us. There, showing emotions is considered a weakness, and it's something that's been beaten from the population. Even after all these years, she still can't fully express herself."

Mirta took Flora's hand.

"Don't worry, Flo," she said gently. "Tecna will turn around, I'm sure of it. Even though she doesn't show it as well as you, she loves all of us strongly. I can tell just in the way she talks to all of us – especially to _you_, Flora. She'll be okay."

"Thank you, Mirta," Flora said, smiling at her girlfriend in relief. "You've captured so much of the Linphean spirit already. And let me tell you this: for all our faults, when it comes down to bare loyalty and courage, there is no one you would want by your side other than a Linphean. We may be primitive by Magixian or Zenithian standards, but trust me, we are all about the connection between souls."

"Dessert!" Miele shouted suddenly.

Flora craned her neck and saw that the dessert was, indeed, coming. Heaping dishes of Linphean fruit, pies, and cakes were coming towards them, landing on the table. Abuela's _fruta de nacimiento _sauce landed directly towards them. She picked up the bowl and offered it to Mirta.

"I'm glad you think that about me," Mirta answered, looking pleased. "And like you said, although not everyone has been nice, this has been one of the best vacations of my life. I'm happy you brought me here."

Flora pulled Mirta into a hug, and they sat there together at the table. "I'm happy you came, too."

* * *

**That's about it for Flora and Mirta. A bit of a filler, I know, but I believe this was important in terms of character-development. Next will be Tecna and a Princess Ball gone awry.**

**Since you guys are responding really well to this story, I figured I might start doing a Question of the Day (QOTD) again. It helps me get to know you guys better – I really appreciate your reviews.**

**QOTD:****What are your favorite ships for Winx Club?**


	4. Chapter 4: The Princess Ball

**Hey guys! There's going to be more action in this chapter, with a Princess Ball gone awry. Next chapter is where things will really get interesting.**

**Guest: ****Thanks for the compliment! I worked hard with the world-building, and I'm glad you enjoy it. I like Tecna x Timmy, Flora x Mirta, and Mirta x Musa. Bloom x Stella? I know they're best friends, but personally, I think they'd fight too much and it would be more about physicality than true emotions. Bloom would probably end up saving Stella all the time, too. But you're right, it does sound like an interesting ship.**

* * *

CHAPTER 4: THE PRINCESS BALL

Four weeks had passed of spring vacation. In those four weeks, Tecna hadn't texted anyone, except to tell Timmy that she couldn't talk. She had received several texts, such as Stella sending continuous reminders about her upcoming Princess Ball, but she'd never replied. She hadn't called anyone, either. All she did, all day, was sit at a desktop computer, solving any problems that needed to be solved, coding more algorithms to enhance the robots' durability. From dawn to well after dusk, she worked.

The work was much more than it had been in past years, but Tecna never complained. She knew that what the president was creating – whatever it was – was just reaching its final stages of development. She worked just as hard as the androids, the androids that operated off of battery and therefore could work as long as the battery lasted.

She still hadn't been able to get any news about Linphea. The only international news she'd gotten was about Melody. The day she'd left for Zenith, a portal had been opened, letting loose various criminals of Omega. By now, the criminals had been contained, but the portal – well, that was a different story.

And now, as she sat at the computer and worked, the door swung open. Surprised at the interruption, Tecna halted and turned towards the entrance. She jumped back in fear as a familiar man stepped in through the doorway.

"No need to worry, girl," he smirked.

Tecna swallowed. A visit from Igor Vasiliev, the head of the laboratory, was never a good thing. He was a close friend of her father's, but she hated and feared him immensely. She backed her computer chair slowly, feeling terrified and defensive at the same time. _Oh, why is he here – _Then she saw the figure behind him, and all breath escaped from her mouth.

Great Premier Medea Alexandrova stood in front of her, her eyes glinting. She wore a tight maroon dress, one that appeared to give her no room to breathe. Her eyes were narrow, and her hair was bright blue, tucked in a bun. Her lips were thin, a small line of magenta lipstick across her mouth. But it was her face that awed – and terrified – Tecna the most. Paler than the palest white, it made her look soulless and untouchable, a radiant beauty. There was no doubt about it; the premier was cold.

"Your Magnificence," she breathed, standing up and bowing low to the ground. "It is an honor to meet you."

Great Premier Alexandrova stepped forward.

"It is good to meet you too, Miss Ivanova," she said. "One of Mr. Vasiliev's best workers, I hear. Though a cyborg, nonetheless."

Tecna hid her wince. As premier for over a century, this woman had drafted some of the most significant anti-cyborg legislation in the history of Zenith. From the books she'd read in Magix, it had been a move to assuage the population. The people of Zenith had blamed her for their inability to put food on the table, but rather than listen to their complaints, the Premier had simply blamed it on the cyborgs. It had been easy to do, as cyborgs were universally resented, anyhow. The Cyborg Massacre of 917, known to Zenithians as the Culling, had been incited by her; although she didn't send troops to kill them, the people of Zenith had listened to her words and murdered the cyborgs, as they'd seen them a threat to their stability.

"The premier is with me on tour around the laboratory," Vasiliev said. "Today is her inspection day, to make sure everything is in working order."

"Of course," Tecna nodded, trying best to hide her fear. The laboratory, in fact, was owned by Premier Alexandrova. Many decades ago, Vasiliev had been contracted by the premier to work on this project. She had never yet witnessed one of her inspections, much less met her in person, but she was instantly terrified. _The stakes are much higher now… _She couldn't afford to slip up.

"Exactly," Premier Alexandrova answered. "The king of Solaria did send me an invitation to his daughter's Princess Ball, but I declined. It is much more important to see how check on my citizens." Her smile didn't meet her eyes; if anything, it looked more like a smirk.

"_Today _is the Princess Ball?" Tecna gasped.

"Yes," the premier said, and her smirk showed how little she thought of Tecna. "Time flies when you're working for your Motherland, doesn't it? Now, my dear, I must go." She sauntered out the room, Vasiliev following close by.

_Of course the ball is today_, thought Tecna. It was Quadrimensis 13 already. She immediately checked the Winx Club group-chat. In addition to the 7563 unread texts from the past weeks, there were 342 just from this morning: everyone was talking about the Princess Ball.

_The whole thing is going to be televised. _She was itching to see it, to see all of her friends in the castle. But to do so would be a diversion from her work… something that would be unacceptable. _And especially with Premier Alexandrova here…_

But it wasn't every day that a Princess Ball happened, and Tecna so desperately wanted to see her friends on screen. Besides, Vasiliev would be showing the premier around the lab, which meant he wouldn't have time to check on her. _I'll do my work _and _watch at the same time. _She set up a firewall around her computer, so that Vasiliev wouldn't be able to see what she was doing, and hacked into the system so she could access the Internet. Keeping a tab open of her coding program at the same time, she typed "Princess Ball".

A live-stream video on the Magix Modern Matrix appeared, and Tecna clicked on it. Immediately, she caught sight of Stella, on an elevated platform, and her friends, in the front row of the court. Tecna stopped for a moment to admire them.

Stella, as the star of the show, was wearing a sparkling, floor-length purple gown with golden embroidery and blue opal jewelry. Her golden hair was up, falling in curls down to her waist. She sat on a gilded, red-and-yellow throne, next to her father. The king sat next to her on his larger throne, the throne that belonged to the sovereign of Solaria.

His daughter's face looked different from the last time she'd seen her, and it took a second for Tecna to realize why. _She's not wearing a magimask. _Whenever they went out into Magix, Stella and Layla always wore magimasks, so as to disguise themselves as common people. It was a very effective way for Alfea princesses to blend-in at Magix, and also the way Sky and Brandon had gotten away with deceiving the Winx in their first year.

The other girls were sitting in the chairs of the courtiers; Bloom and Musa were sitting with their respective boyfriends. Tecna was pleased to see that whatever danger that had passed on Melody was clearly well enough for Musa to be there. _Not that I can find out what's going on. _The firewall blocked her access to most of the Web; it took huge amounts of coding to even see the Magix Modern Matrix. Layla was wearing a sunny yellow dress, Bloom had a blue tulle ball gown, Musa was wearing garnet red, and Mirta wore a deep indigo. Tecna, however, thought Flora's dress was the prettiest, even prettier than Stella's. She wore a simple yet form-fitting peach-pink dress that suited her brown skin, and had flowers pinned in her hair.

As the video scanned momentarily through the rows of courtiers and guests, Tecna looked carefully to see who had come. The room was packed, everyone dressed elegantly. By the looks of it, all were barons and baronesses, dukes and duchesses, counts and countesses. Like many other realms, Solaria followed the system of feudalism, which meant that status was based off of relation to the king. It was very much unlike Zenith, a capitalist dictatorship.

Zenith hadn't always been capitalist, however. In the Age of Blood, its people had overthrown the king, and a dictator had taken his place. Zenith had become completely communist, centralizing all production. However, this method had proved to be very unstable, and in Year 543 of their current Age, the Age of Unity, Zenith had switched to capitalism. This switch had allowed the development of the Realm Wide Web to set off, and Zenith became a realmwide power.

The king took out a box from his drawer and held it out to Stella, who let out a gasp. A diamond necklace shone with dark orange and blue, the colors of Solaria, within its depths. The king began to speak. Though he spoke in Solarian, Common Tongue translations appeared at the bottom of the screen, and Tecna found she could easily understand.

"My daughter is now approaching adulthood. In a few short months, she shall be eighteen, the official heir-apparent of Solaria. She is now formally ready to enter society as a true princess." The king smiled down at her.

"Princess Stella Lucia Calisto di Solaria, please accept this token as a sign of your readiness to become part of society."

With a gasp of excitement, Stella placed the pendant over her neck. A wave of solar energy passed through her body, and the crowd cheered.

"Now," the king continued, "I have a special announcement for the public. I have kept it from all but my most trusted staff in the hopes of it being a surprise, and the fear that it would leak into the public. You paparazzi are devious," he said with a smile. The crowd laughed.

Tecna could see Stella nervously looking at the other girls. She could tell this wasn't part of the script.

"As you all know, I haven't been married for ten years," King Radius continued on. "My former wife, Lady Luna di Lunaria, has parted with me on good terms. However, the kingdom needs stability, someone to stay with me as I part into old age."

Tecna watched the color drain from Stella's face. She could make out the other Winx looking at each other with wide eyes, unable to process what was happening.

"Therefore, I would like to announce my new bride." King Radius paused. "Countess Cassandra di Russo, and her daughter, Chimera, shall be our new family!"

A ripple of shock went through the crowd. Tecna watched as a demonically beautiful girl and her mother stepped out to the crowd, waving at the people. From the onset, she could tell they were Lunarian, not Solarian; they had lighter complexion, and wore dark clothes on a planet where everyone wore pastel. The mother was wearing a navy blue ball-gown adorned with gold, and her daughter was wearing a shimmering, deep purple gown with golden ribbons from head to toe. Except for the wicked-looking cut and the absence of sparkles, it was basically a darker version of Stella's gown.

There was cheering, but Tecna could tell it was very forced. The Winx stared at each other with horror, shocked at what had happened.

But it was Stella's face that was the worst of all.

She was keeping herself composed, as a princess always should, but Tecna could see the shock in her eyes. She knew she was upset. And she stared at the king, amazed at what had just happened.

_Why is he remarrying? _she thought. _What kind of logic is there in that? He's got a stable kingdom, a beloved daughter, and great power! Why is he doing this?_

"And now," the king continued, "let us celebrate with this new era of prosperity, with Solaria and Lunaria together as one!"

The people broke into cheers. The gentry began to dance; it was a custom, at the Princess Ball, that the people were well-fed and got to dance. King Radius took his daughter's hand, and they danced in the center of the room together.

Tecna watched Stella's face very closely. She was doing a good job of hiding her emotions, but she could tell she didn't appear happy. _The paparazzi probably know it, too. _The endless speculators they were, they loved to spread rumors about the royal family in general. _This time, though, it's probably true…_

A sudden rumble made everyone stop in their tracks. A clap of thunder sounded above them, frightening the citizens of Solaria. King Radius stared at everyone, his eyes wide.

Then rain began to fall.

King Radius gasped as he fell back, weakened by the storm. The crowd began to shout out in gasps of alarm. Stella stared at her father, her gaze stricken.

_What's going on? _thought Tecna. It _never _rained on Solaria; Solarians got their water source from underground, not from the air. This new energy was something sinister.

Then she gasped as Stella's dress began to burst open at the seams. She stared in horror as Stella's skin color changed from tan to green, and she let out an agonizing yell.

"My daughter!" cried King Radius, still reeling from the rain. "What is going on?"

Countess Cassandra stepped up and glared down at Stella.

"This is not your daughter," she announced. "This is a monster, an imposter. Guards, take it into custody! Make sure it doesn't cause any trouble!"

Stella let out a wail.

Tecna watched the camera shift uncertainly to the guards. After all, the countess was not authorized to command them; it was only King Radius who had that power. King Radius stared up at Monster Stella, and Tecna could see his heart breaking. Then his eyes hardened, and he shook his head.

"Guards, after her."

The effect was instantaneous. Stella yelped as the guards ran after her. She would've been captured and taken down to the dungeons, instantly under control –

Had it not been for the rest of the Winx. They instantly dove in front of Stella, blocking the guards from attacking her. Layla said something to Brandon, who ran out of the camera's view, along with Brandon, Riven, Galatea, and Mirta. Bloom grabbed Stella's hand, and they ran out of the hall.

Tecna stared at the screen, perplexed. _What's going on? _She couldn't believe that this was happening. _Why are they being attacked?_

_I have to contact them. _Immediately, she focused on her internal wiring, connecting to her phone. The phone dialed, and Flora immediately picked up.

"Tecna!" she shouted, and Tecna could see her standing in front of her, through the phone's screen. "Why are you" –

"Tell her this isn't exactly the best time!" Layla shouted from wherever she was standing.

Tecna gritted her teeth. The Magix Modern Matrix screen had moved from the girls to the citizens of Solaria, all of whom looked terrified. "I'm trying to help you! Obviously I know what's going on!"

There was a silence. Then Bloom gasped, "But I thought you couldn't watch us from Zeni" –

"There's no time for that!" Stella cried out. "Just tell us what to do, Tecna!"

Tecna focused on her computer monitor in her head. She had downloaded maps of the Solarian palace in her brain for a history project at school, but had never remembered to delete them. And she was glad she hadn't; this could save her friends' lives.

"I have a map here of the palace," she said. "Where are you right now?"

"The Aviary," Stella said breathlessly. "We're trying to escape out of there."

"Okay," said Tecna. "Send me your coordinates, Flora!"

Flora sent her the coordinates on her phone. Tecna immediately looked them up, and connected them to the map.

"Okay," she said. "From what I can see, you need to fly out, and go immediately to the ground. There's a tunnel due north of where you're standing. I'll mark your route and send you the map."

"Thanks, Tec!" Musa gasped. "You're a lifesaver!"

Tecna marked it as quickly as she could, and sent it to the Winx. Bloom scanned the map.

"Okay," she said. "So from what this says, we need to fly out of here, straight to the tunnel, and then radio Sky to get the ship there. If they meet us there, we have a lower chance of getting caught" –

"Stop where you are!"

Tecna froze as she heard the guards' voices, speaking the Common Tongue; obviously they knew everyone other than Stella was a foreigner.

"Give over the monster," one of the guards yelled.

"She's not a monster!" Bloom yelled. "She's Princess Stella of Solaria!"

"Liar!" another guard shouted. "Our princess would never look that hideous! This is an imposter! Tell us what you've done with her!"

"We haven't _done _anything with her!" Musa yelled back. "She's right _here_! Can't you see? She's been spelled!"

"You're all under arrest," a third guard said grimly. "Under charges of impersonating our princess, attacking the King of Solaria, and causing damage to the castle. The Solarian Army will be here soon to end this. This is a clear attack on the regime of Solaria!"

Shock ran through Tecna's body. _They think the Winx are terrorists! _This was worse than she'd thought. _Can't they see that Layla's the princess of Andros, and that the rest of them are Alfea girls? _How were the guards so blind?

_They need to get out of there_, she thought. She opened her mouth to yell to Flora, to warn her that they'd better get out of there now –

Then she squealed as she felt an electric jolt in her own bones.

Tecna fell to the floor, the phone clattering to the floor. Electricity zapped her again, and she shrieked in pain. Scrunching her eyes, she turned her head to look up in the face of Mr. Vasiliev.

To say Tecna was terrified was an understatement. _No, I thought I'd been careful… he _can't _have found me… _Her heard was jumping up and down in her throat, and her wiring was out-of-control. He walked up to her and held her chin in his hand.

"So you dared disobey me." He turned off the screen. "Disobeyed me and watched the network, instead of doing your work. Is this what you've grown up to become? Do you have any idea what would've happened if Premier Alexandrova had found out?" He pressed a button on his remote. Electricity zapped through her again, and she let out a yell.

"You know what I can do," Vasiliev whispered; he was now mere inches from her face. "I made you, and I can also destroy you. Just don't forget that. You will not _dare _disobey me ever again. Is that correct?"

Tecna nodded shakily. Shame coursed through her, and she bowed her head. _How could I ever have shirked my responsibilities here? _This man had done so much for her, and _this _was how she repaid him? "I'm sorry," she said meekly.

"Now, back to work." Mr. Vasiliev zapped her screen on. "I will speak to your father about punishment at home."

Tecna got to work fast. She slammed her fingers on the keys, and continued to work all through the night. She didn't stop once for food, water, or even a nap; the only thing that was important was her work. _I have to make up for all my lost time… _When Sammy came for his hourly check at 3 a.m., the only thing visible was Tecna's head on the keyboard, her snores haggard and pained to the world.

* * *

**Poor Tecna… It's not going to get better from here, I'm afraid…**

**Next chapter:**

\- **The first semester at Alfea starts.**

****\- Stella is healed from her monster transformation.****

******\- Faragonda speaks to the girls about Enchantix.******

**AOTD: ****I really like Flora x Mirta and Nabu x Riven. For a time, I was into Flora x Roxy, but they honestly wouldn't be so much on an equal footing. It would be more like an older-younger sister relationship. Flora x Mirta just feels natural, and Nabu x Riven would be cool, because Nabu and Riven temper each other perfectly. While Nabu is calm, Riven is hawkish. Both are extremely courageous.**

**QOTD:****Which is your favorite canon Winx character and realm? (I might as well ask that at some point)**


	5. Semester 1

_Alfea College for Fairies_

**SEMESTER I**

* * *

Departments of Curricula:

Practical Magic (PM) – classes focusing on the prime aspect of fairy-magic, such as spellcasting. _Head:_ Professor Palladium

Defense Magic (DM) – classes focusing on the defensive aspect of fairy-magic, such as battle. _Head:_ Professor Griselda

Physical Magic (FM) – classes focusing on the physical aspect of fairy-magic, such as flight. _Head:_ Professor DuFour

Creative Magic (CM) – classes focusing on the creative aspect of fairy-magic, such as potions or art. _Head:_ Professor Chika

Theoretical Magic (TM) – classes focusing on theoretical aspect of fairy-magic, such as history or philosophy. _Head:_ Professor Patel

Applied Magic (AM) – classes focusing on other applications of fairy-magic, such as convergence or healing. _Head:_ Professor Aditi

* * *

Graduation-Requirements:

All students are required to take four classes per semester. Freshmen must take a semester of Spellbound and Aeroflynamics, and sophomores must take a semester of Convergence. Each class is 5 credits.

To graduate, a student must have at least 10 credits each in all departments and at least 5 credits in Spellbound, Aeroflynamics, and Convergence. There must be a minimum of 120 class-credits to graduate.

In addition, there are three components, one component corresponding to each year: Courage, Character, and Sacrifice. Each category is worth 10 points, and students will be ranked based off of how well they demonstrated each virtue.

In total, 135 credits are needed to graduate.

* * *

Schedules:

* * *

**Name:** Andros, Layla Amina Fatima

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Kingdom of Andros

_Chika _– Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Wizkiz_ – Advanced Metamorphosis (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

* * *

**Name:** Fernández, Flora

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Queendom of Linphea

_Aditi _– Natural Healing (AM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

_Avalon _– Intermediate Magiphilosophy (TM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 8:00-9:30

_Chika _– Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

* * *

**Name:** Ivanova, Anastasia Marie

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The People's Republic of Zenith

_Avalon _– Intermediate Magiphilosophy (TM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 8:00-9:30

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Palladium _– Magical Connections (PM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Wizkiz_ – Advanced Metamorphosis (AM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

* * *

**Name:** Nakamura, Mirta Fujin

**Year:** 1

**Realm:** The Warlocks' Realm of Whisperia

_Chika _– *Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_DuFour _– Introductory Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Palladium_ – Spellbound (PM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 9:30-11:00

_Patel _– Introductory History of Magic (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 13:00-15:00

_*Note: placed out of Introductory and Intermediate Potions._

* * *

**Name:** Peters, Bloom

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** Earth

_Concorda_ – Prophecy (TM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_Griselda_ – Advanced Defense Maneuvers (DM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 8:00-9:30

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Wizkiz_ – Advanced Metamorphosis (AM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

* * *

**Name:** Solaria, Stella Lucia Calisto

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Kingdom of Solaria

_Aditi _– Weather Predictions (TM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 8:00-9:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Patel _– Advanced Astronomy (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 20:00-22:00

* * *

**Name:** Xi, Musa Lei

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Realm of Melody

_Barbatea _– Magic in Art (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Palladium_ – Advanced Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 9:30-11:00

_Patel_ – Advanced History of Magic (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 17:00-19:00

_Wizkiz_ – Advanced Metamorphosis (AM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30


	6. Chapter 5: The Higher Art

**Hello, everyone! The good stuff is coming now – the girls are returning back to Alfea. Little do they know, their troubles have only just begun…**

**Guest: ****I feel bad for Tecna, too. The racist stuff was actually inspired by the ****_Lunar Chronicles _****– have you ever read them? The protagonist there also has to face discriminatory laws due to her status as a cyborg. Yeah, I can see why Bloom/Stella would be a hateship – I don't love them, either. I like Stella, but I dislike how Bloom became a Mary-sue in the later seasons. Honestly, all the Winx characters became bad in the later seasons. I really like Mirta, too, though she's not my favorite. I just like how resilient and brave she is, even after facing so much discrimination.**

* * *

CHAPTER 5: THE HIGHER ART

"I can't believe it!" Stella let out a wail. "My dress!"

The ship was approaching Alfea. Flora sat next to Mirta as Stella continued to fret, crying about how unattractive she was.

"How could she do this to me?" she seethed. "That stupid spoiled brat came and _ruined _my Princess Ball! And how could my father _marry _her mother? What about _my _mom? What, is she just a speck of dust under the rug?" She began to cry.

"Calm down, snookums," Brandon said, tightening his arms around Stella in a reassuring embrace. "We'll get you back to normal."

Flora squeezed Mirta's hand under the chair. _I wish we could hug in public like that… _As if hearing what she was thinking, Mirta cast her a warning look.

"Nurse Ofelia says she knows a way to turn you back," Bloom said from the dashboard. "She and Ms. Faragonda will fix this. Don't worry, Stell, it's going to be fine."

"I mean, I _hate _this look!" Stella cried. "I mean, it's like when Mirta got turned into a pumpkin, although she was kinda a cute pumpkin, not like _this_" –

"Did you really have to remind her of that?" Musa asked wryly, pointing to the grimace on Mirta's face.

Flora winced as well. Mirta had suffered from severe bullying, as well as anxiety, throughout her entire childhood. She remembered how she'd laid Pumpkin Mirta on her dorm table, how she'd tried every single spell she could think of to turn Mirta back. And how Mirta had stayed like that for months until it was over.

No one had even searched for her. Griffin had reported her disappearance to the Magix Police, but with so few leads, they'd given up. Even her parents hadn't seemed so bothered. The Winx hadn't reported it to Faragonda or asked the seniors for help, for fear that their headmistress would refuse to help a witch of Cloud Tower. She squeezed Mirta's hand even tighter.

"We're approaching," Timmy called. He looked sad as he stared out the window. "Landing soon."

Flora felt bad for him. If she was sad about not being able to express her feelings about Mirta, she was sure he felt sad, too. No one had heard from Tecna for two months – that was, until that morning.

_She does this every winter_, thought Flora. She had never invited any of the girls to her house, or even to visit her. And she'd been so aloof her entire life.

She remembered that day, two years back, when they'd been punished for sneaking out to Cloud Tower. In the past two hectic years, it had been a day like any other, one that went overlooked in their memories of one another. But now she remembered it very clearly, as they stood in Griselda's office together.

"Er, Miss Griselda?" Flora had asked timidly as they'd stood in the deputy headmistress's office. "We were wondering when you're going to remove these." She gestured to the band around her wrist, which stopped her from using her magic.

Griselda lifted her glasses and glared at the girls. Not a good sign. Her eyes skewered Flora, and she swallowed hard, stepping back.

"Your intrusion to Cloud Tower was unacceptable," she said severely. "You're lucky you weren't turned into magical jumping beans and sold to the Magix Circus. No, you won't be getting your powers anytime soon, but that's only the beginning of the punishment."

"Then what's the rest of it?" Musa asked.

"You won't be getting your powers back for the rest of the weekend, _and _you won't be leaving campus," Griselda responded.

Stella rolled her eyes. "So we get to hang out all weekend? Not exactly a punishment, Ms. G."

Bloom and Musa burst into giggles. Flora did her best to contain herself, and even Tecna cracked a smile. They all stopped abruptly, however, when Griselda glared at them, her eyes monstrous and terrifying.

"There will be NO hanging out," she snapped. "In fact, you will be cleaning the entire school from front-to-back, _without _magic. Here." She focused her powers on the closet across from her desk. It opened, and five brooms, a mop, and a bucket rushed out of the closet. She picked the mop up. "Here you go, Princess of Solaria." She threw it into her hands.

"What a strange-looking remnant of primitive technology," Tecna remarked, staring at it. "How odd. Let me see what my computer says about it." She pulled her portable laptop out of her pocket.

"Oh, and one more thing, Miss Tecna," said Griselda, snatching the laptop and snapping it shut. "You won't be needing any computers, either. In fact, I've turned off the wireless in the entire castle."

"What?" gasped Tecna. She tried to keep her face indifferent and emotionless, but Flora could see the fear behind her eyes. "But I don't know how to" –

"Tecna, you look so scared," Bloom teased. "You're actually showing emotion for a change!"

"Though by Tecna's standards, probably too _much_ of it," Musa added.

"I know," Tecna said quietly, wringing her hands together as she stared at the ground. "I know I shouldn't be acting this way. But ever since I've met you guys, and left Zenith, quite frankly" – she stared up at the ceiling – "I've been losing control."

Flora began to giggle; so did the rest of the girls. _Lose control? Tecna? _She was the most rigid, uptight person they'd ever met. Tecna stared at them, alarm and annoyance in her eyes.

"What's so funny?" she demanded. "That wasn't a joke! I don't" –

"STOP!"

The girls stopped laughing. Griselda glared at them, and they all backed down. "Dust and clean every surface of the castle! I want to see your faces reflecting in the desks!"

"But, Miss Griselda," Tecna protested, "I still don't know how to" –

"OUT!" Griselda barked. Flora grabbed Tecna's hand and pulled her out of the office. The other girls carried the equipment, quick as they could to escape Griselda's ire.

"I don't understand!" Tecna protested, utterly confused. "How do I even _use _these things?"

"Don't worry, Tec, it's _not_ that complicated," Musa laughed. "You'll be a pro at it in no time."

Later, while Musa, Stella, and Bloom were bickering about the cleaning, Flora stood with Tecna in the hall, trying to explain to her how to use a broom.

"Let me show you," she'd laughed.

"Thank you, Flora, but I'm sure I can figure out these primitive implements on my own." Tecna picked up the bucket and placed it on her head. "Ah-ha!"

"Um"… Flora did her best to disguise her laugher. "You sure?"

"Affirmative." With newfound confidence, Tecna picked up the broom and eyed it. "It's elongated so it can reach high places. Hmm." Carrying it over her head, she swept under a painting. Flora watched with amusement as Tecna swept roughly, pushing against the frame.

The painting began to shake. Suddenly, its fastenings were undone, and it fell off the wall. Tecna gasped in horror as it fell on the ground, the glass splintering into hundreds of pieces.

"No!" she cried in alarm, running to the floor. "What did I do?" Her hands fell to the floor, just about brushing the glass.

"Tecna"… Flora stared at her in alarm, the smile gone from her face. "Get back from there. You're going to cut yourself!"

Tecna wasn't paying any attention. To her shock, Flora saw that there were stress-lines across her suitemate's forehead.

"Why did I do this?" she cried. "Now our efficiency has been cut by zero-point-two times! I'll have to clean this, and _then _I have to figure out how to clean the rest of the school" –

"Tecna, please calm down," Flora whispered.

"No, you don't understand, I should never have" –

"No, it's _okay_."

Tecna stared up at her. Flora smiled as reassuringly as she could, and stroked Tecna's shoulders.

"Look, Tecna," she said, "I know you care about efficiency. But the thing is, it's _fine_. Yes, we need to finish cleaning by the end of today, but we'll get it done. The important thing is not making sure we get this done as fast as we can. The important thing is having fun."

"Fun?" echoed Tecna. "Why would this ever be fun?"

"Because we're getting to know each other," Flora answered, "and we're doing it together. Besides, you're forgetting one thing, Tecna: you don't have to do this alone."

"What do you mean?"

"We're all in this together," Flora answered. "The five of us were punished, and we're all taking equal responsibility for this – okay, maybe not Stella," she added. "But you're not alone, Tecna. No matter what happens, we'll always stand by your side."

The stress-lines on Tecna's face disappeared, and her demeanor calmed. For a moment, she looked like a normal girl, with no worries at all. Then, slowly, she nodded.

"Thanks, Flora," she whispered, brushing by her arm. A hint of a new friendship.

And now Flora sat in the ship, remembering that fateful day. Tecna had been the odd one out from the start, and had certainly been very strange about the cleaning. They'd all laughed at it, passing it off as just one of Tecna's oddities.

But now Flora was beginning to wonder how true that was. She'd been the one girl who'd never expressed delight when they all talked with each other about their boyfriends. It had taken the fall of the Army of Decay for her to even join in a group hug. And just as Flora had thought she'd worked through some of her emotional difficulties at the Resort Realm, _this_ had happened…

"Let's go!" Stella yelled. "I want this fixed right now!"

Flora looked up and realized the ship had landed at Alfea. Timmy opened the rear door.

Stella ran out, followed by Brandon and Bloom. "Come on!" she shouted. They ran into the school, towards the nurses' wing.

Ofelia stood there, next to Headmistress Faragonda. Flora halted and stared up at her, the all-knowing woman who had served as their headmistress for the last three years. She looked gravely down at them.

"Greetings, girls," she said. "You got into quite a bit of trouble."

"Um, understatement of the month?" Stella screeched. "All it took was that jerk Chimera, and everyone turned against me! Me, the princess! My dad won't even speak to me" –

"All right," Faragonda said, raising her hand for silence. "Now here's what I'm going to do. Nurse Ofelia and I are going to break the spell, but we need you girls to be blindfolded. You cannot see what is going on."

"What?" asked Bloom in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The only way to break this spell is to practice a higher form of fairy art," Faragonda said. "It is held in complete secrecy to all except for those who unlock it."

Flora thought she knew what Faragonda was talking about. Adult fairies had a more mature transformation; she'd seen her mother wearing it. She remembered asking her mother, when she was younger, why her wings were different from Flora's. Flora's mother had just smiled and said that she would learn someday. _I guess this is what it's about._

"Boys, step outside," Faragonda ordered. The Specialists walked towards the door, and Brandon gazed uncertainly over his shoulder at Stella. Nurse Ofelia undressed Stella, pulling the torn remains of the dress off, as Faragonda came near with blindfolds.

"Here," she said, passing one out to each of the girls. Flora pulled it over her head, gasping at the suffocating darkness it brought her.

"Now!" she shouted. A wave of energy shot through the room, and Flora gasped at its soothing effects. _This is the most peaceful thing I've ever felt. _Stella gasped in amazement as it washed over her.

"It's done." Faragonda nodded. "Now, unmask yourselves."

Flora tore off her blindfold, staring. Stella was completely back to normal. She was wearing a soft infirmary robe, and squealed in delight as Ofelia took off her blindfold. She rushed to the window.

"Wow, this monster transformation really softened my skin!" she gasped. "And that spot on my face from beforehand was gone! I don't have to cover it up with my hair to make it disappear" –

"You'd think she was a model, the way she keeps going on," Layla laughed.

Flora stared at Faragonda. "That must've been a really powerful spell," she said.

"Whatever it was, it was awesome!" Stella gasped. "The most soothing sensation came over everywhere in my body, and I felt so… pure. Ms. F, what did you do?"

"Oh, I daresay you'll find out," Faragonda smiled. "After all, senior year is just around the corner. Now, we need to talk about the political situation in Solaria, Stella."

The girls frowned. Stella stared up at Faragonda in alarm, and the headmistress placed her hands on Stella's shoulders.

"There is turmoil in your realm," she said. "The rain has stopped, but the King of Solaria is still searching for you. The real you, not your monster self – he hasn't yet connected the two. He believes that you've been captured by the same terrorists who brought a monster to the Princess Ball."

"_What_?" gasped Stella.

"There's more," Faragonda answered. "Solaria's relics have been stolen from the palace."

All of the girls gasped in horror. Flora stared at Faragonda, her eyes wide. _No… How is this possible? _Stella, however, looked furious. "I bet it was that awful countess!"

"Stella, you cannot jump to conclusions," Faragonda said severely. "You are going to be queen someday, and you cannot declare someone a traitor just because you _assume _so. In any case, I don't think it was a mere countess. It was someone much, much more powerful."

"But _how_?" Stella gasped. "How did someone attack my realm like that? And why didn't those idiot guards realize I was spelled?"

"Imagine how the situation looks, Stella," Faragonda frowned. "You didn't look very happy at the Ball – all the paparazzi were talking about how you didn't look like your normal self. And then you transformed into a monster. That makes everyone believe that you were an imposter, when you were indeed not."

"What are we going to do?" Layla asked worriedly.

"I'm going to radio your father and tell him that you're here, with your friends," Faragonda answered, "and that there is nothing to worry. I'll explain to him that someone put a spell on you and made you appear like an imposter. He will listen to me; I am well-known enough across all of the realms."

"But then that leaves us the question," Bloom said: "who put that spell on Stella?"

"The same person that stole the treasures," Faragonda answered. "Obviously, he wanted a diversion, so that he could steal the realm's valuables. This is very troubling news indeed. I will look into this matter. In the meantime, I want you girls to sit tight."

"How can you expect me to sit tight when my realm's under siege and my dad thinks I'm a monster?" Stella exploded.

Faragonda glared at Stella with the power of ten Solarian suns. The princess shrank back, startled.

"I am trying my best to keep this under control," she snapped. "Have you ever thought I might know about the situation more than you do? The reason why I'm asking you to relax is because stress doesn't solve problems. I promise your father will be in touch with you shortly. In the meantime, let me do my job!"

_What's with Faragonda? _wondered Flora. _She's never acted like this! _She gazed at Stella, who had a stunned expression on her face.

"Now go to the dorms," Faragonda continued, in a calmer tone. "I'll meet with you in the morning to discuss our plans."

"Thank you, Ms. Faragonda," the girls said quietly as they walked out. As soon as the door closed, they stared at one another in disbelief.

"What's up with _her_?"

"How'd the relics get stolen?"

"Why won't she tell us _anything_?"

As they walked, Flora realized she'd dropped her bracelet. _Must be near the infirmary… _She turned around to search for it, Stella's relieved voice and Brandon's promise of a date sounding through the air. She found it at the door to the infirmary, and picked it up.

As she turned around, she thought she could hear Faragonda speaking to Ofelia. They were talking quietly, but Flora could still hear her speaking in a grave tone.

"Something is not right here," she said. "How is it that someone was even able to spell Stella in the first place? The security at all royal palaces is very strong."

"I don't know, Headmistress," Ofelia answered. "What are you suggesting?"

"Just think about it," Faragonda answered. "Events in the Dimension have been haywire. First the Omega Portal breaks open in Melody, then the Solarian relics get stolen. And Melody's relics were stolen last month, too, though I didn't tell the girls. The Melodian royalty has been trying to keep it quiet."

"What are you suggesting, Headmistress?" Ofelia asked.

"I'm saying," Faragonda answered, "that something dark is approaching."

Flora shuddered. _I hope she's wrong… _But inside, she knew that wasn't the case at all. _If Ms. Faragonda says so, there's going to be trouble. _She turned away, her shoulders stooping as she followed the other girls.

* * *

Alfea stood brilliantly, its large, gleaming pink turrets against a blue, cloudless sky. The first day of school, Quintmensis 6, was here. New girls were wandering all around the quad, gaping at its beauty and prestige in the world.

"I know I saw this prematurely, coming in with you guys," Galatea said, "but I just want to say this place is amazing."

"Isn't it?" Musa grinned at her. "This is gonna be your home for the next three years. Enjoy every moment of it, Galatea."

"Winx!" Flora heard tiny voices behind her.

"The pixies!" Stella let out a whoop. Chatta, Lockette, Digit, and Amore zoomed towards the girls, their eyes filled with excitement.

"Hey, look at you!" Chatta grinned. "You're here, and" – She grinned at Mirta. "You're here with your" –

"Shh!" Flora said anxiously, looking around. Fortunately, no one else seemed to have noticed. They were chatting with their own pixies, excited to see them again.

"It's great to have them back, isn't it?" Layla asked, cradling Piff. With the exception of the Princess Ball, she and Musa had stayed in Magix the entire winter, so Piff and Tune had stayed with them the entire time.

Bloom gazed over at the quad. "There're so many new freshmen this year," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and some of them are freshmen that we know!" added Stella, catching sight of one. "Hey, Nova!"

Flora looked. A girl with bright orange hair was running towards them, grinning. She threw her arms around Stella.

"This is Nova di Ricci," Stella announced. "She's from Solaria, and her father's the lord of the Ricci province. Everyone, say hi!"

"Hi," everyone said, smiling at Nova. Flora watched as Nova gazed at all of them with her bright amber eyes, a smile on her face.

"It's so great to finally be at Alfea!" she burst out. "I'm so excited! I've been waiting all my life for this, and now it's finally here! I can hardly wait!"

"That's great," Flora grinned, remembering how excited she'd been when she'd received her acceptance packet, combined with a hefty amount of financial aid. "I'm happy for you, Nova."

"So, any more news from Solaria?" Stella asked worriedly as they walked towards the quad.

"No," Nova frowned. "The paparazzi's through the roof about how you got spelled, though. No one can believe it happened."

"I still can't believe it myself," Stella said, looking sad. "And that my dad's marrying that woman." She clenched her teeth.

Flora frowned. In that past week, King Radius had come to visit Alfea, apologizing to Stella for having ordered his guards to attack. They'd embraced tearfully, and then Stella had asked him why he was marrying Countess Cassandra.

"Why?" she'd shouted at him. "Why didn't you even _ask _me first? Do you have any idea how horrible this is?"

"I thought it would be a wonderful surprise," King Radius said, taken aback. "I thought you'd be happy to have someone to consider a mother."

"I already _have _a mom, and she's awesome!" Stella yelled. "How could you do this, Daddy? You know how I felt when you divorced Mom! And now you're letting – that _woman _– replace her!"

"We've been through this many times, Stella," her father said. "Your mother and I just weren't meant for each other, and besides, she hated royal life. Solaria needs a queen, Stella, and Countess Cassandra is as good as any other. She's a clever woman, and she'll help me with the administrative tasks around the castle. Not to mention, her daughter Chimera is a lovely girl, and I'm sure you'll be close friends in no time" –

To this Stella seethed uncontrollably and stormed out of her room, slamming the door in her father's face.

And now Flora was standing with her friends, watching Stella as she spoke to Nova. _I hope we can figure this out… _She let out a sigh.

"Come on, Mirta," she said. "Let's go and see the other girls" –

"Is there a witch in our presence?"

The quad fell silent. A sophomore girl, whom Flora recognized as Eris Drakos of Eraklyon, walked towards Mirta, her expression spiteful.

"So we have a witch here," she laughed. "One of the best schools in Magix. My parents – who are on the school board, by the way – voted against your entrance into the school, but Faragonda overruled them. So here I am, stuck with a loser like you."

Mirta was trembling. Flora put her arm around her and glared at Eris.

"Don't talk to her like that," she responded. "She helped us fight the Army of Decay, before you were even here! _And_ she's given us so much valuable insight into warlock culture. Please leave her alone."

"_Please_," Eris mocked. "You sound like a little kid on the playground. 'Please give me a turn on the swing!'" She rolled her eyes. "You of all people, a Linphean, shouldn't be interacting with such" –

"If you're not going to listen to her, you'd better listen to _us_, hotshot," Musa said, stepping forward. "I've been bullied before, and I'm not about to let you go after her."

"Same here," Bloom added. "Mirta's one of us. We're not putting up with your junk."

"Yeah," agreed Stella, her hand lighting up threateningly. "And if you don't believe it, well, there's new monster-transformation spell I've really been itching to try out" –

"ENOUGH!" a voice shouted. Griselda walked towards the quad, her eyes blazing. She glared at Eris, and at Stella, who was pointing the spell at Eris's face.

"Release that spell, or I'm getting the magic-reduction band," she ordered.

Grumbling, Stella stepped backwards and glared at Eris. Griselda turned to face the Eraklyonese girl, who backed down.

"I'll be watching you from now on," she snarled. "You'd better watch your step, Miss Eris."

"Yes," said Eris, rather meekly. Never had Flora been so glad to see Griselda in her life. _She'll keep Eris reined in… I hope… _She squeezed Mirta's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Mirta," Nova said, stepping forward. "Not all of us are like that."

"I'm with her," agreed Galatea. "You helped us save Stella in Solaria, Mirta. You'll always have _my_ respect."

"Are we going to start this school year or not?" Griselda demanded. "Sign in for attendance with your fellow professors here! Sophomores go to Table 1, seniors go to Table 2, and freshmen come to me!"

Mirta looked nervously at Flora, who smiled and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "You'll be fine," she assured her.

She got in line with the other Winx girls. They stood together, chatting excitedly about the upcoming year. Even Stella, after her fiasco of a Princess Ball, seemed excited. But then Flora turned around, and then she saw the girl they'd all been wondering about for the past two months.

Tecna was the last in line, her eyes downcast. Flora's heart leapt as she saw her, wearing a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. _It's so warm today… and what happened to that cute crop-top?_ She turned away from the others, and walked towards Tecna, placing her hand on her shoulder.

Tecna jumped. Flora tried to smile, as cheerfully as she could. "Tec, it's so great to finally see you," she said. "How was your break?"

"Fine," muttered Tecna, her eyes downcast.

Flora's smile vanished. She stared at her friend, worried. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," said Tecna, rather absentmindedly. "Just doing a few calculations."

"Okay," said Flora, not quite satisfied. "But aren't you excited for the upcoming year? We all are."

Tecna nodded. "I am, but"…

"But what?" Flora pressed on.

"I'm sorry," Tecna said awkwardly. "I'm in the middle of calculating something in my head." She smiled, though the smile seemed humorless and sad. "We can talk later, okay?" She closed her eyes, and Flora stared at her.

_She's never been _this _aloof before. _At the beginning of last year, she'd greeted Flora and the others cheerfully enough. And once they'd defeated Darkar, she'd been ecstatic, partying along with the rest of them. But now… it was like a robot had taken over her body and set her controls.

She reached the front of the line. Palladium and Avalon were manning the table; Palladium was dealing with the lower half of the alphabet, while Avalon was dealing with the upper half. He nodded to Flora as he found her name on the list. "Flora Fernández, Linphea?"

"Correct," Flora nodded, forcing herself to look at him. After last year's chaotic events, she found it difficult to even look at the real Professor Avalon in the face. Even though the false Professor Avalon had been killed along with Darkar and the Realm of Realix, the treachery still had found its way into her heart. Avalon stopped checking her box and looked up at Flora.

"You're nervous because I'm here," he said.

"I" – How could Flora deny it? She nodded, gazing fearfully at him. He shook his head sadly and sighed.

"I suppose it will be a while before anyone heals from the scars of last year," he said. "Darkar's siege devastated all of us. But I will do my best to prove myself – that I will assure you."

"It wasn't your fault," Flora breathed. "That man – he assumed your identity. You had no choice."

"I know," said Avalon. "But you'll see. I'll make sure we stay together this year." He smiled at her. "You have my word." He passed her a sheet of paper. "Here is your schedule for the year."

She nodded. Stepping out of the line, she joined the other Winx and Mirta.

The girls swapped schedules, looking at each other's coursework. The Winx all shared Advanced Battle with Palladium. Musa, Tecna, Layla, and Bloom were taking Advanced Metamorphosis together. Flora, Mirta, and Layla were in Advanced Potions, Stella and Layla were both in Advanced Aeroflynamics, and Flora and Tecna shared Intermediate Magiphilosophy.

Faragonda stood up and began to speak to the students of Alfea.

"It is a pleasure to have you all," she smiled. "Greetings, girls, and I heartily welcome you back to Alfea. Now, I would like to commence this year with a few words to our freshmen. Sophomores and seniors, please step back while we talk."

Flora nudged Mirta. "Go on," she said.

She watched as Faragonda made her obligatory speech about the girls' duties to become great fairies of the Magical Dimension. It was a lot to expect of teenagers, but after all, they were students of a prestigious school founded by the United Realms. A few looked very nervous as she detailed the coursework. Then she dismissed the freshmen, and spoke to the sophomores about earning their Charmixes and their new responsibility to go on quests.

_Like the quest to Shadowhaunt_, Flora thought. She remembered how Bloom, Stella, and Layla had been sent on the first quest to Shadowhaunt, and how they'd all gone to rescue Bloom the second time. The thought sent shudders through her body, and she sighed.

_But there won't be anything as scary as that this time_, she thought. _There _can't_. I don't think Mirta can stomach it. _She sighed.

Then Faragonda dismissed the sophomores, and she turned to face the seniors, her eyes unusually grave.

"It is time," she announced. "Your third and final year at Alfea. You all have worked incredibly hard to become what you've become now, and I could not be prouder of each one of you. However – not all of you will graduate this year."

There was a collective gasp from the fifty or so students. Flora stared at Tecna, who had finally finished with her internal calculations and was staring at Faragonda, her eyes wide.

"In order to graduate this year, you will have to pass the final exam," Faragonda continued on.

Flora heard Amaryl muttering to her friends. "I haven't even unpacked yet, and she's talking about finals. Can't she wait until tomorrow? And how bad can this exam be, anyways?"

"I'm telling you this now because you need to hear it before you take a step into the building," Faragonda interrupted. Amaryl's cheeks became a bright red. "You need to hear this so you can understand what task you're undertaking."

Venus of Solaria raised her hand. "Um, Ms. F, what do we do? How hard do we have to study for this exam?"

"It's not a test you can prepare for," Faragonda answered. "It is a test that you'll only go through when the time is right. That may be tomorrow, a few months from now, or even on the last day of this school year. But this is the critical year, the year that you develop magical maturity. If you don't get it now, chances are, you'll never get it."

"What exactly is this _thing _that we have to get?" Tecna asked, and Flora held back a smile. She knew how much Tecna hated it when anyone spoke in abstract terms.

Faragonda smiled down at her. "That, my friend, is Enchantix. Yes, the final fairy form," she added, as several girls let out gasps. "It is the adult form of all fairies. And it is not easily found, either. For in order to earn Enchantix, a fairy must be pure of heart."

"What do we have to do to get it?" wondered Layla.

Faragonda frowned and assessed the group of students.

"No more interruptions," she said sternly, in a voice most unlike her. "This is important, and you need to hear it." The girls whispering in the corners began to hush; the headmistress continued on. "This is a test of sacrifice. In order to earn Enchantix, a fairy must sacrifice herself for a birth citizen of her home-realm. It will provide you with so many new powers you never had before. For those of you who pass, that is." She frowned. "For the rest of you that don't, you'll stay exactly the same as you are now."

A babble began to break out in the quad. Stella turned towards the other girls, her eyes blazing. "As long as it's not Chimera, I'll sacrifice myself for anyone!"

_So _that's _what the special power is_, Flora realized. This was the power that Faragonda had been talking about when she'd healed Stella! _Oh stars, what happens if we don't get this power?_

"Then, as full-fledged fairies," Faragonda continued, silencing everyone with a stare, "you shall protect your realms from destruction! That shall be your responsibility, as a graduate of Alfea." She nodded at the girls, who stared at her, their mouths agape.

"But that is enough," she continued. "Now it is time for you to go in and unpack. But don't forget what I've told you. Only those that pass shall become true fairies of their realms!"

She dismissed everyone with a hand-wave. Everyone began to leave the quad, talking worriedly. It seemed that the atmosphere had almost instantly changed; everyone had gone from excited to anxious almost immediately.

The other Winx girls, however, were looking hopeful. "I mean, we've faced decay monsters and Shadowhaunt and the Trix before," Stella pointed out as they walked up the steps. "How hard could it be? I'm sure we'll pass!" She began to dance around.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Bloom, who was staring at the ground.

"Why not?" Flora asked, feeling worried. First Mirta, then Tecna, and now Bloom. _What's with everyone today?_

"Faragonda said we need to save someone from our realm," Bloom continued on, "but my homeworld, Domino, was destroyed. Don't you see?" Her eyes flashed. "Unless Oritel and Marion are still alive, no one will be left. And I'll never get my Enchantix!"

* * *

Flora sighed, reaching her apartment. The day had been much more draining than she'd previously thought. What with the announcement, Bloom's problems, and the prospect of Enchantix, she felt exhausted. She opened the door to her room.

But someone else was in there.

"Mirta!" Flora's heart jumped as she saw Mirta lying on her bed. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?" She sat down on the bed.

Mirta turned her head towards her. "I'm fine," she said. "I was just waiting for you, that's all."

"Oh." Flora remembered giving Mirta a key to her apartment. "That's fine." She frowned down at her. "What happened? Your suitemates aren't like Eris, right?"

"No," Mirta answered. "Actually – they're Nova and Galatea."

"That's great," Flora said, pleased. Nova and Galatea were good girls, and they would help Mirta around as much as they could; she was sure of it. "Then why aren't you spending time with them? Don't you want to get to know your roommates?"

"I do," said Mirta, suddenly appearing shy. "But"… Her voice trailed off.

"You feel insecure around them," Flora said, finishing her sentence. It was logical; after all, Mirta was a former witch in a fairy's world. She couldn't expect her to _not _be scared.

"Yes," said Mirta. "Look, Flora, I love it here – I can tell this is the place for me. But I can't help but feel sad. Most of the people here are great – but people like Eris"… She trailed off.

"I understand how you feel," Flora answered. "But I'll be there with you every step of the way." She frowned. "And don't let Eris get you. Whatever she says, she's _wrong_."

Mirta smiled, gazing up at Flora. Flora gazed down at her with nothing but love in her heart. This beautiful girl, insecure yet resilient in so many ways, was on her way to becoming a fairy. A wonderful, strong-hearted fairy for sure. Flora knew there would be nothing but brilliance in her future.

"You are going to be a great fairy," she said, stroking Mirta as she spoke. "Nothing will stop you; I'll make sure of it."

"But what about all those other girls?" Mirta asked tearfully. "Will I ever belong here?

"I can't say for sure," Flora whispered. "I know prejudices are hard to overcome. And I don't know if they'll ever accept you. And I can't tell you to stop thinking about them."

Mirta's eyes began to water. Flora held her tighter, pushing her hair away from her face.

"But what I _can _say is that you can't let their opinions of you pull you down," Flora added. "You've made the transformation from witch to fairy because it was the right thing for _you_. You can't let them demoralize you. You've done it for the right reasons."

Mirta brushed her tears away and looked up at Flora. "Sometimes I wonder whether it was the right decision."

"Of _course _it was." Flora felt a wave of frustration run through her. "Mirta, you're so much more whole and complete now that you've made the change. _I _can see it."

"You call _this _being whole and complete?" Mirta yelled. "Every day I wonder what I could've done differently to change this! Every day I wonder why I'm like this! So messed up, so broken, so out-of-control"… She began to sob profusely, holding Flora as tightly as she could.

"Let it all out," Flora whispered. She lay back down, staring at Mirta's wounded face, how pale and sad she looked at everything. Misery shot through Flora as she stared at her grieving girlfriend.

_I wish I could take this pain away from her_, she thought. _But this isn't like growing a tomato plant or a flower. This… she needs time to heal. _She held Mirta firmly.

"I won't ever let you go," she whispered.

Silence reigned. Mirta's cries subsided and she looked up at Flora, tears in her eyes. She hugged her tightly.

"I knew I could count on you," she said, and then she kissed Flora, full on the lips.

The kiss brought Flora into her senses immediately, and she opened her eyes wide. Electricity tingled through her as she kissed Mirta back, keeping the suction between their lips as firm as possible. Her hand went down the back of Mirta's shirt, and she caressed her, never wanting to let go…

There was a sudden gasp. A door banged open, pulling Flora out of the moment. She pulled back instantly from Mirta and turned towards the door, her eyes wide.

Tecna was standing there, an expression of pure disbelief in her eyes. "Flora?" she asked uncertainly. Behind her, Mirta pulled back in surprise, staring at Tecna.

Flora was the first to speak. "Tecna," she breathed, staring at her best friend. "I – what happened?"

"You were supposed to meet us at the quad ten minutes and fifty-three seconds ago," said Tecna plainly. "They sent me up to get you. And now" – She drew in a breath as she stared at Flora and Mirta. "I run into this."

"Run into _what_?" Flora asked, a sense of desperation running through her. Now Tecna knew everything, and she wasn't reacting at all in the way Flora had expected. Tecna was staring at Flora, as if she'd changed into a different person entirely. The technology-fairy shook her head.

"I know the other girls and I have boyfriends," she said, speaking the last word as if it was still something she needed to get used to. "On my first day at Alfea, I found that shocking enough, how every girl spoke freely about boys. But this – this is something else entirely." She drew in a breath. "I have to go."

"Wait!" Flora pulled herself up off the bed. "Don't go! Please, Tecna, explain to me what you mean!"

"Flora"… Mirta was tugging on her sleeve, but Flora ignored her.

She turned towards Tecna, her eyes distraught. "I don't understand," she said. "Why do you have a problem with Mirta and me? What's the problem with us liking each other?"

"It's unnatural, Flora," Tecna responded. "It's just… it's not supposed to happen. Girls aren't supposed to like each other in that way."

"Flora!" Mirta called from behind. "You don't have to convince her. It's okay."

"No, it's _not _okay," Flora insisted. She turned to face Tecna. "You're my best friend. I want you to accept me for who I am. I'm a girl who likes other girls – and Mirta most of all. You have to accept that."

"Flora," Tecna answered, "it's completely unnatural, and I don't know what to say about it. You… I've never seen you act this way. It's completely irrational."

She turned to go, clearly unable to process what had just happened. But Flora's next words stopped her cold.

"What exactly _is _rational about love?"

* * *

**So that's it for this chapter. What do you think about the classes they're taking? I didn't have that information originally, but I added it in because it helps fill in the gaps about their classes.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Tecna spends some time with Timmy, remembering her love for him.**

**\- Valtor starts attacking more realms, getting more on the offensive side.**

**AOTD: ****Icy, without a doubt. I just love her frigid personality and how awesome she is in the 4Kids dub. Lisa Ortiz is the best voice-actor of her character (and for all the characters in the franchise). She really is a great villain – in the first three seasons, at least. Close behind would be Musa and Roxy, just because I like their personalities and how defiant, loyal, and down-to-Earth they are. My favorite realm has to be either Linphea or Tír na nÓg, just because of the beautiful nature and what each realm symbolizes.**

**QOTD: ****Which dub did you grow up with in Winx Club, and which one do you like the best? (Oh boy, this is going to be a heated one).**


	7. Chapter 6: Valtor

**Hey everyone! As the title suggests, today we are going to be meeting the main villain, and see how the Winx handle him!**

**Guest: ****Shoot – I did not mean to include that scene with Mirta worrying about her parents. In an original draft, I had Mirta come out to her parents, which resulted in them cutting her off. I removed that from the plot, because I felt bad for Mirta, but it looks like I didn't remove it everywhere (bad editing – eep!). I re-uploaded the chapter without those two paragraphs. I'm sorry to hear you were bullied in school. I was too, unfortunately, when I was very young. I agree, too, that Rainbow should've definitely made Mirta a bigger character in the series – she and Roxy both have a huge fanbase, yet they were both ignored. I also find it awkward having Mirta as a fairy, but if she was a witch, I just don't see how she'd be able to attend Alfea. As you'll see later, there will be some limitations on her powers. Oh yeah, and I hate Nickelodeon too for what they did to Winx Club. I'd advise watching the Cinélume version if you get the chance – it's pretty good.**

* * *

CHAPTER 6: VALTOR

Those words had kept Tecna completely stunned that entire week. She'd barely opened her mouth during meals, classes, and in the dorms. What Flora had said completely shocked her.

_What exactly _is _rational about love?_

And Tecna could find no fault with that point. There was nothing rational about Flora's love, or Tecna's, for that matter. She was heads-over-heels obsessed with a boy from Magix, a boy who coded and programmed in a realm where everyone focused on magical energy. She adored Timmy with all her heart, and nothing would ever change that.

That Friday, Quintmensis 11, Tecna settled down to do some work. The work was piling up immensely; although they didn't have a set final exam, the teachers seemed determined to stuff as much information in their brains as possible. However, that was all far from Tecna's mind. She was too busy staring at the code sent to her from the lab.

This was the first year Vasiliev was still forcing her to program from abroad. Before, he'd let her off during the school year, with the promise that she'd work extra-hard in the summer. This year, however, there was no such promise. It appeared he was getting desperate.

_I wish I could know what it was_, Tecna thought. _What even _is_ this we're creating? _But she had absolutely no idea. _Why do we need to –_

Her head suddenly began to buzz. Startled, Tecna stared as red letters shot across her vision.

BREAKING NEWS, it read. LINPHEA IMPOSES SANCTIONS ON ZENITH.

_What? _Tecna thought, startled. _Linphea did _what_?_

She immediately went to her tablet and searched for a Magix Modern Matrix article. _Let me see what it says. _Scanning, she read the words silently.

_As the trade-war escalates, Linphea has placed sanctions on Zenith. As of Trimensis 20, no magi-fruit will be sold to Zenith._

Tecna stared at the screen in dismay. _Zenith depends on Linphea for agricultural exports! _Although magi-fruit wasn't an essential item, it was a favorite of the Zenithian nobility, who loved Linphea's exotic fruit-collection. This was a clear move to debase Zenith.

_"Linphea's actions are very disappointing," Premier Alexandrova said in a statement. "This realm is unable to get over its grudges towards Zenith, and is unable to negotiate with us. It will be on Queen Isabel's head when our citizens starve."_

_Our citizens are _anyways _starving_, Tecna thought. Not to mention, the situation wasn't _that _dire; a lack of magi-fruit wasn't going to kill anyone. Still, the premier had a very good point, as forty-three-point-four percent of Zenith's agricultural imports came from Linphea. Not a small number by any imagination. _And if Linphea bans any _more _stuff…_

She hoped Flora hadn't seen the news yet. She didn't want to talk to Flora about what was going on with their respective nations, as she was afraid it might ruin their friendship. _Let's hope they resolve things. _She went back to her programing when suddenly, her cell phone bleeped.

Frustrated, she opened it. _Who is it that's calling? _She gasped as she saw Timmy's ID appear on her screen.

"Timmy!" she squealed as soon as she opened the phone.

"Tecna!" Timmy grinned at her, his adorable face showing up on her screen. "How're ya doin'?"

"I'm doing well," she lied, smiling at him. The truth was, her mind was filled with confusion. But seeing Timmy somehow made it all better.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm right at the quad," he answered.

Tecna started. She ran to her window and saw that he was right. He was on a hover-bike, and once he saw her, he began waving and grinning. "I'm coming," she cried, and then she transformed.

She burst open the windows, flying down to meet him. They hugged and he grinned at her, happy to see her again.

"It's been so long," he said, in almost a hushed voice.

Tecna could understand the feeling. It'd been two months since they'd last spoken, and three months since they'd defeated Darkar. It felt like an age between them, like forever. "I've missed you so much," she admitted.

Timmy turned on his hover-bike and mentioned for her to sit behind him. "Let's go out for a bit."

Tecna hesitated. "Timmy, I've got work to do. I have this huge project which needs to be finished tonight. I – I can't."

"You _always _have work," Timmy pouted. "Come on, Tec, let it go for one night. We need some catching-up time."

"I" – Tecna stared at him. How could she say no to his puppy-dog face? Timmy was right; she needed to spend time with him, or her heart would burst. "All right," she acquiesced, sitting behind him.

She laughed as he sped the bike out into Lake Roccaluce. The lake looked beautiful at this time of night. They dismounted and sat down at the lakeside, chatting.

"So, how's your break been?" he asked casually, as if he hadn't been wondering the entire time.

It was a loaded question. Tecna swallowed once, and turned to face him.

"I have a lot of work still left over from the break," she admitted. "Mr. Vasiliev, my boss, is pushing me to finish a bunch of sets by tonight."

"So you said," Timmy frowned. "But it can't be _that _bad, can it? You just have to do some programming, right?"

"Yes," Tecna said, staring at the ground, "every winter." She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Wait a minute, what's going on?"

Tecna opened her eyes. Timmy was frowning at her, his eyes dark.

"You said you have this work every winter," he said, "and that it's really hard. So"… He took in a breath. "Are you saying that you work _every day _in the winter?"

"Er… Tecna stared up at him. "Yes," she finally admitted.

"That's horrible!" cried Timmy. "How can he force you to do _that_?" He stood up immediately. "You need to quit that job!"

"Timmy, no!" Tecna cried. "I can't!"

"Even if you don't say anything to him, _I _can," Timmy declared. "Just give me his number and I'll ring him up." He sounded more confident that he felt, though, and she knew it.

"You don't understand," she cried.

"Why?" Timmy asked, his voice rising. "You're not bound to him, Tecna!"

_Yes, I am_, thought Tecna. _In more ways than you'll ever know. _Nightmarish visions passed through her head, and she nearly cried out. _I can't remember that…_

Timmy stared at her, and frowned. "Tecna, what's going on?"

"Timmy" – she stammered. _He can't know… he can't know…_

"Tell me," he answered.

"No," Tecna cried. "If I tell" – She let out a shuddering breath.

"Tell what?" Timmy prodded on.

Tecna closed her eyes. _If I tell, I could be expelled from Alfea… _But she wanted so badly to tell. She loved Timmy, and knew that he loved her, too. _I can trust him. I have to. _She looked up at Timmy.

"The only other person who knows is Digit," she said, "and I didn't tell her. Digit's a techno-pixie, so… she knows what I am. But my friends… I can't tell anyone else."

"Tecna," said Timmy gently.

"I'm not a regular fairy," she choked out. "I'm a cyborg." She watched as Timmy stared at her, completely blown away.

"You're a… cyborg?" he said at last.

"Yes," cried Tecna. "I was in an accident when I was very young, Timmy. And the surgeons – they completely _transformed _me. I'm made of flesh and bone on one side, but the other side is made of steel. Look." She extended her right arm and pulled off the fleshy covering she always put on top.

Timmy stared in amazement as it slid off, revealing steel.

"This is what I am," Tecna continued, her voice trembling as she held her hand up. "I have 3D-printed nerves underneath, and they all connect to a computer interface on my back. And… Timmy?" She took in a breath. "Cyborgs have a terrible status in Zenith, and I'm lucky Mr. Vasiliev even hired me. If I don't do his work, then I'll be out of a job for good."

Timmy looked shocked. "I can't believe you didn't tell anyone! Tecna – _why_? Why would you keep Zenith's horrible legal system to yourself?"

"I'm sorry," Tecna whispered. "It's not like I don't trust you. It's just… if the wrong person finds out, then I'll have to leave and go home, to a world where there's nothing but work, work, and more work. And there's no love, and I wouldn't be able to see you ever again"… She buried her face in her hands.

Timmy came up to her and brushed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to upset you. I – I'll keep your secret, Tec. I swear." His voice trembled as he spoke. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met."

Her sobs subsided. She looked up at Timmy, and managed a smile. "Thank you," she breathed. Then she leaned over and kissed him.

HEARTBEAT 127.3 BEATS PER MINUTE, flashed across her vision. EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT DETECTED.

Tecna hadn't seen that flash across her feed since last Duodecemenis. _What is this… I'm not supposed to be doing this…_

But she didn't stop it. She couldn't, for she was with the boy she liked. She wasn't going to let anything or anyone get in her way. And so she hugged him, holding him tightly in her embrace.

"Thanks for understanding," she choked out.

"No, thank _you_," Timmy answered. "You're so awesome." He smiled at her. "Now, let's go back."

They boarded the hoverbike and headed back to Alfea. Tecna's mind was swirling as they flew, and they landed in the quad.

Then she saw Layla running towards Tecna, a wild look in her eyes. "Where've you been?" she demanded. "There's trouble, Tecna! We need your help!"

"What?" Timmy demanded, climbing off the bike. "What's going on?"

"Andros is under attack."

* * *

"I won't allow it." Faragonda shook her head.

"But Ms. Faragonda!" Layla protested. "My realm's under attack!"

It was the next morning. The Winx were in Faragonda's office, protesting. Faragonda lifted a hand to silence them, and shook her head.

"Too many things are going on now," she said. "Until we know what force is attacking the realms, we cannot send you girls. Let the Andros authorities and UR Defense Forces take care of it first."

"We've faced villains before!" shouted Stella, outraged. "We're not helpless little girls!"

"I know you aren't," Faragonda said. "And I trust in each and every one of you. But not now. I have a gut feeling, and I am going to honor it."

Tecna couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Gut feelings aren't rational! _She stared at Faragonda.

"If we had a sixty percent chance of getting injured at Shadowhaunt," she said, "we probably only have about ten or fifteen percent chance of injury here. Ms. Faragonda, don't you think you're being a little" –

"I am Headmistress of Alfea, Tecna," said Faragonda. "And I don't think I need to remind you the mistakes that come with faulty calculations."

Tecna's cheeks burned as she remembered how she'd led the other girls to attack the false Professor Avalon last year, to defend Bloom. _I was right about him, though! _She clenched her fists.

"You can't go," said Faragonda, and her tone was final.

Disheartened, the girls trooped out of the office. Musa and Layla were furious as they walked down the hall, Layla most of all. "I'm not letting my people suffer!" she fumed.

"You don't have to," a voice called. Mirta was standing in the doorway of their apartment, nodding at them.

"Mirta?" asked Tecna uneasily. She still remembered the scene with her and Flora; unease took over her as she frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I just spoke with Riven and Brandon," she said. "They're sneaking a ship over here. You're going to Andros."

* * *

"We're approaching the atmosphere," said Riven, looking over at them. "Almost there."

Tecna frowned. _So many things could go wrong… _They'd snuck out with Riven and Brandon, ignoring Faragonda's orders to stay back at Alfea. They'd slept all night on the ship, and now it was Saturday morning in Magix; their disappearance would've been discovered by now. And they would be punished severely upon returning back home.

Tecna knew they were taking a risk by going. But she also knew it didn't matter. Layla's realm was much more important than whatever punishment they'd face back at Alfea.

As they went down towards the ground, Tecna saw what the problem was. The beautiful, fertile islands of Andros were now under attack by severe thunder-clouds. And by the looks of it, it was more than just a thunderstorm.

"I'll do a digi-scan," she offered, pulling out her portable device. She tapped a few buttons, connecting it to the Internet in Andros.

HIGH WEATHER ALERT, her brain feed flashed across her vision. MAJOR STORM WATCH ON OLYMPUS ISLANDS.

_Tell me something I don't know_, Tecna thought irritably, sending a wave of techno-magic from her internal computer into her device. Then she pointed it towards the clouds, sending it towards the glass and into the clouds.

HIGH-ENERGY STATIC CLOUDS, the reading came back to her. LOWEST CLOUDS ONLY ONE SIXTY-EIGHT HUNDRED METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL. LIKELY MAGICALLY INDUCED.

_Just as I suspected_, Tecna thought. She turned towards Riven and frowned. "These clouds have been magically induced," she said.

"What?" Layla leapt up in alarm.

"That means somebody's close by!" yelled Musa.

"I say we go out _now_, and figure out what's going on," Stella said.

"Hold it!" Riven shouted. "You girls are not going anywhere!"

"Those clouds are too dangerous," Brandon added. "It's too close for you to go."

"We'll just shield ourselves, then," Layla said, skewering him and Riven with dagger eyes. "What are you implying? That we girls aren't strong enough to go on our own?"

"Woah, woah!" said Brandon, holding his hands out defensively. "I didn't say that, did I?"

"You kinda did, snookums," said Stella, affectionately tapping him on the shoulder.

Layla's eyes seemed to burn with fire as she glared at Riven. "You boys always think you're stronger than us."

_Well, we do have forty three-point-eight percent less muscle-mass on average_, thought Tecna. _What's up with Layla? _Riven sighed and threw his hands down.

"Fine," he said, "go. Just don't blame us when you get zapped and fried."

The ship lower-compartment door opened. The girls transformed and flew towards the storm. Musa closed her eyes.

"I'll set up a sonic shield," she said.

"Add that to my World Wide Web," Tecna added. The two girls converged their powers, creating a bubble around them.

"Let's hit it, then!" Bloom yelled. The six girls flew together, into the clouds.

"The Voice of Nature is calling to me!" cried Flora, throwing her hands over her ears. "The lightning is beating up the islands! It's horrible!"

"This cloud is insane!" yelled Stella. "It's too strong for us!"

All six girls screamed as they were blasted down apart. Tecna cried out as she burst through the cloud, the ground approaching at an alarming rate.

"No!" she shouted, creating a digi paraglider to slow her fall. She looked at the other girls and saw they were falling, unable to fly. "Digital net!" she yelled. A net appeared, attached on either side to two tall trees, and the girls hit it, gasping in relief.

Then she heard laughter. Loud and high, it came unmistakably from above them. She gasped as she recognized who it was. _Oh no…_

"The Trix!" yelled Bloom. "I'd recognize that laugh anywhere!"

"How'd they bust outta Omega?" Musa demanded, clenching her fists.

Tecna grabbed her device, recalibrating it to sense them. _They must be hiding in the clouds… _She gasped in alarm as a warning popped up on her screen.

"Right above us!" she yelled. "They're about to attack!"

The Winx gasped in alarm and flew to the side. Shielded by a bubble, Icy, Darcy, and Stormy flew down, cackling.

"You three!" Bloom gasped, firing at them. "It was _you _who caused the storm!"

"Let's get 'em," Layla said grimly. Bloom nodded, and began addressing the girls.

"Stella and Musa, you go after Darcy," she said. "Tecna and Flora, deal with Stormy. Layla and I are going to take Icy down!" She and Layla linked hands, flying towards the ice-witch.

"Thanks for creating the net to break our fall," Flora said as she joined hands with Tecna.

"Don't mention it," said Tecna. "Now, you want to go and take Stormy down?"

Flora smiled, and Tecna felt a rush of gratitude towards her. What she had witnessed between Flora and Mirta had not changed their relationship. They would still be close friends. _Or as close as we can ever be_, she thought, feeling a sense of guilt overcome her. Stormy flew towards them, her teeth bared.

"Don't think this is going to be easy," she said. "I'm not giving up."

"Well, neither are we!" Tecna snapped back. "Winx Charmix!" She and Flora transformed into their Charmixes, converging their powers together.

"Ivy vine!"

"Digital snake!"

A vine crept from the ground, fortified with techno-powers. Stormy smirked, then gasped with shock and rage as the vine encircled her, tying her up. She fell down, gasping.

Tecna looked over and saw that Musa and Stella had defeated Darcy, and she had fallen to the ground. Icy, on the other wing, was still just as strong as ever.

"No!" she yelled, and a blast of cold energy shot across the islands. The vines trapping Stormy turned to ice, and then broke open. Stormy smirked as she flew up, facing Tecna and Flora again.

"Don't think we're giving up that easily," Tecna snapped, her hands filling with digital energy. "Not until you dismantle the storm you created!"

"She didn't create the storm," a voice said behind her. Tecna and Flora gasped as a wave of energy hit them, and they toppled to the ground. The hit was like a punch in the guts to Tecna, and she winced, turning around on her back and staring up.

"_I _did," the voice continued. Tecna stared in horror as a man emerged from the clouds, smiling.

He had long colorless hair and stormy gray eyes. He was wearing a handsome coat, and was grinning deviously. The Trix flew up to join him, laughing as well.

"I am Valtor," he announced as he flew down. "Destroyer of realms, creator of chaos. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He bowed.

"You"… Bloom stared at him, at a loss for words. "I saw you on Solaria!"

_She did? _thought Tecna, irritation rising up inside of her. _Why does no one tell me anything? _The wizard was smirking as well.

"Oh yes," he said. "I saw you too." He flew towards Layla, who glared at him contemptuously. "Greetings, princess of Andros."

"I'm not afraid of _you_," Layla spat back. "I fought shadow-monsters and the Shadow Phoenix himself last spring! Clear out and remove these clouds!"

"You're not in a position to bargain, my princess," Valtor drawled, and the Trix laughed maniacally. "Your attitude is rather unbecoming, I must say."

"Shut up!" Layla slammed him with an attack, her strongest Charmix spell.

But Valtor simply caught it in his hand, holding it at bay. Tecna gasped out loud at the sheer power in his hands, and he turned towards Layla, his eyes blazing.

"Princess of Andros! Meet your fate with dignity! Once I take over this dimension, you shall forever be a reminder to all of what happens if they dare to confront I, the wizard Valtor!" He turned her spell against her, combined with his own magical energy, and shot it straight into her eyes.

Layla screamed as she was blasted to the ground. Musa hollered in alarm and flew down to her friend.

"Layla!" she yelled.

The Trix and Valtor were laughing. "Later, losers," Icy crooned. With a snap of Valtor's fingers, the four of them vanished.

"What happened?" Bloom demanded as they flew down to Layla.

Layla stared blankly at them, and Tecna was shocked at what she saw. What had once been two sets of vibrant, sea-blue eyes were now clouded and misty. _Almost as if she's –_

"Blind," Layla said, finishing her thought. "I can't see anything." She let out a gasp. "Now however am I going to save my realm?"

* * *

**Yeah, they underestimated Valtor pretty badly. Now what do you think will happen? What did you all think about the Tecna x Timmy fluff at the beginning?**

**AOTD: ****4Kids, without a doubt, is my favorite dub. In fact, I just released a one-shot article here, explaining why I love 4Kids so much. It helped me through a very emotional, turbulent time (read it to find out!). I love all of the witty dialogue and great voice-acting throughout the show. However, I do enjoy Cinélume as well – in fact, I'm re-watching the series now.**

**QOTD:****Who are your favorite Winx Club villains?**


	8. Chapter 7: The Coral Scepter

**Happy Leap Day, everyone!**

**Since this is such a short chapter, I'm going to post Chapter 8, the Tecna chapter, along with this as well. I'm thinking of starting to post the pairs together each time I update.**

**Guest: ****That is an interesting analysis. The way I see Mirta's transformation arc, it's very similar to a transgender person's desire to have reassignment surgery – they don't have to, but if they feel more comfortable that way, they can. The reason why I have Mirta become a fairy is not because she wants to fit in, but because she feels more comfortable in a fairy's body. However, she still retains quite a bit of her witch magic, just expressed in a different form. I also don't like to think of fairy-magic as "light" or witch-magic as "dark", as the series made it out to be. It always bugged me how in the first season, the witches were out to attack the fairies just for the sake of being wicked. In my fics, I like to make a case that the witches aren't inherently evil; it's just part of a millennia-long conflict between fairy-beings and warlocks, in which neither side is innocent. To me, the Trix are radicals within the warlock diaspora, as are Darkar and Valtor. I agree that Tecna/Timmy is one of the better relationships in the series. I really don't like Musa/Riven – either they should've made Riven grow up by Season 3, or have Musa ditch him by Season 2. I also saw your review to my post about 4Kids – thanks for reaching out. Out of curiosity, do you post your fics online, or do you keep them to yourself? I'd love to read them sometime – if you're comfortable, that is. Let me know!**

* * *

CHAPTER 7: THE CORAL SCEPTER

"What are we going to do?" Stella demanded.

The six girls were standing together on the beach. Flora stared at Layla in distress, stunned at what she saw. _How are we going to break this spell? _She closed her eyes.

"Soothing pollen!" she said, sending her magic into Layla's eyes. She concentrated all of her energy on healing them, grimacing and pointing.

"Stop!" yelled Layla. "You're making it hurt even worse!"

"It's going to take more than just Winx to get her eyes back," said Tecna, and Flora sat back, defeated. "I don't know what we're going to do."

Musa looked towards the shore in alarm. "Um, guys, incoming!"

Three mutants were approaching them. Their eyes were menacing, and they had wide, feral teeth. They opened their mouths and flew towards them, pointing their spears.

"RUN!" Musa shouted, grabbing Layla's hand and flying her away. Stella shot an attack towards them. "Take that, you jerks!" she yelled.

But nothing happened; the mutants didn't seem at all fazed by their attacks. If anything, they just made them angrier. Stella stared back in horror.

"How is that possible?" she yelled.

"I don't know, Stell!" Bloom answered. "Come on, let's get out of here before" –

THWACK! A discus slammed into the mutants, felling them and forcing them to the ground. A pink-haired man caught the discus, and turned towards them with a smirk. "Miss us?" he asked.

"Riven!" yelled Musa. "Am I glad to see you!"

"What did you do?" Bloom asked, staring at the mutants.

"He stunned them," Brandon answered. "We found docking for the ship near the palace, and spoke with some of the guards. Turns out those mutants are actually merfolk, spelled by this wizard guy to turn on their own people!"

"What?" cried Layla. "My own people? Valtor's done this to them?"

"Oh, so that's his name?" Riven snorted. "He's a nasty piece of work, if you ask me. We should've never let you girls go out by yourselves – clearly you couldn't handle him."

Musa glared at him. "Never mind, I take that back"…

"Princess Layla!" a voice called. Layla turned in the direction of the voice, wincing.

"Princess Tressa!" she called. A red-haired mermaid appeared at the surface of the water, gasping.

"What happened to your eyes?" she gasped. "Did Valtor spell them, just like he did to everyone else?"

"Yes!" cried Layla. "What's happening, Tressa? What can we do?"

"Well, Valtor's taken the Realm Wide Web down," Tressa answered. "He created this horrible storm that kills wildlife and creates havoc. Then, he turned the merfolk into his servants. We estimate about one hundred civilians and half the Royal Guard are under his command" –

"Where's King Neptune and Queen Ligea?" asked Layla.

"My family's imprisoned," Tressa said sadly. "I'm the only one who escaped – oh!" She threw her hands over her eyes.

_What? _thought Flora. _What's going on? _She stared as Tressa let out a wail.

"I'm a coward," she wept. "I fled when I was needed the most! I failed to save my brothers, my parents, everyone" –

"Don't you worry, Tressa," said Layla. "We'll get them back."

"We sure will!" added Bloom.

"Let's go and find them," added Stella.

Flora stared at them in alarm. "Wait, guys, we need a plan! I don't like the sound of this!"

"What do you mean?" Musa frowned at Flora.

"We got overconfident before," said Flora. "Because of that, he was able to put the spell on Layla's eyes."

"That's what I said before, and no one listened to me," Riven added. Musa hissed at him.

"Cut it out!" she yelled. "Flo, I don't see what plan we can come up with."

"Actually, Flora's right," Tecna said. "An unplanned ambush is thirty-three-point-five percent more likely to fail than a planned one."

"He blinded you completely?" Tressa asked, staring at Layla in wonder. "Well, once we free my mother, she can heal them. She has a coral scepter with healing powers. Don't worry, she'll heal you in no time."

Just then, the mutants woke up. They turned towards the Winx, snapping and snarling.

"Okay, Flora, here's our plan!" Bloom said. "Specialists, you fight the mutants. Winx, let's go find Queen Ligea!"

"Get going, girls!" Brandon yelled as he drew his sword.

_This can't end well_, Flora thought uneasily as Layla created water-repelling bubbles for their heads. They swam down into the water, following Tressa into the sea's depths.

* * *

Swimming was a lot harder than flying. Flora continually gasped for air as she burrowed down into the depths, wincing at the coldness of the water. _Will our attacks even work down here?_

"There's the palace," said Tressa in a hushed voice. "But the Kraken… it's there."

"Kraken?" asked Flora, puzzled. "What's that?"

"It's an undersea monster," said Layla, "used by royal families of undersea kingdoms to keep guard of their kingdoms. It looks like the Kraken has turned against the family and gone under Valtor's command."

_That can't be good_, thought Flora nervously. Her heart beat wildly as the ground began to shake.

A monster with twelve tentacles appeared, bellowing menacingly. It had plum-colored skin and tongues the color of vomit. Stella let out a yell.

"Eww!" she said. "Tressa, I don't think mermaids have good taste in guard!"

"The Kraken is only summoned in times of need!" Tressa protested. "It's never summoned like _this_. I – oh, no!"

The Kraken lunged at them, grabbing Layla around the waist. Layla let out a yell as she was dragged into the sea.

_No! _Flora stared at it. _You picked out the weakest one of us! That isn't fair!_

"After her!" Bloom yelled.

"Wait!" cried Tressa. "What about my family?"

"You go and free them," Bloom answered. "We'll buy you some time and keep the Kraken busy!"

The Winx swam furiously into the water, but the Kraken was much, much faster. They panted as they swam, rushing towards it.

"I can transport us there!" Stella said, grabbing her ring and transforming it into her scepter. "Take us!" The Winx appeared in front of the Kraken, glaring at it.

"Sonic blast!" yelled Musa.

"Digital zap!" cried Tecna.

The spells momentarily stunned the Kraken; other than that, they did nothing. The Winx stared at each other in horror.

"No way!"

"Layla, we're not giving up on you!"

Layla was struggling and yelling. Flora closed her eyes, and concentrated her power.

"Ivy barrier!" she yelled. Ivy began to shoot up, blocking the Kraken's exit. It let out a bellow and tore at the barrier.

"Digital web!" added Tecna, blocking the Kraken's mobility. It let out an even fiercer bellow.

Flora watched in horror as the ivy vine and web broke apart. The monster advanced on them, snarling.

"Oh no!" yelled Stella. "Looks like it wants us next!"

"Fire arrow!" yelled Bloom.

But her dragon-fire was noticeably much weaker underwater, and it had little effect on the Kraken. In fact, all of their powers were weak. The Kraken advanced on them, glaring and snarling.

_What are we going to do? _thought Flora helplessly. _Are we all going to become Kraken food now? Is this it?_

"No!" a voice shouted. A mermaid, carrying a sword, was charging towards them. She slashed off three of the Kraken's tentacles, including the one that was holding Layla. Flora, being closest to Layla at that moment, swam forward and grabbed her hand.

"Tressa!" the girls shouted in relief. "Queen Ligea!"

The queen smiled at all of them. "Thank you for your bravery," she said. "If it wasn't for you girls, my Tressa would've never found that bravery within her as well" –

The cave began to crumble. Flora looked up in horror as rocks began to fall, narrowly missing them. She darted to the side as one large boulder nearly fell on her and Layla.

"I say we get outta here before this cave goes bust!" Musa yelled. "Let's go!"

The Winx all sped up through the cave's opening, fighting against gravity as they fled upwards. Flora held firmly onto Layla's hand, pulling her close to her.

"We're not letting you go again," she said protectively.

They all made it out of the cracks just as the rocks fell. Flora breathed a sigh of relief. _Okay, now we can get to the shore…_

"My mother promised she'll use her healing coral gem for you," Tressa said.

"Thank you, Queen Ligea," breathed Layla. "But what about King Neptune, Prince Nereus, and Prince Tritannus? What happened to them?"

Queen Ligea smiled sadly. "It'll take more than just the eight of us to free them. They are guarded much more heavily than I, by mutants and the Kraken alike. The king of Andros will have to sponsor a mission to free them. But in the meantime, we must hurry to cure Layla's eyesight. I know of an island that is not yet inhabited by thunder-clouds, but will be by tomorrow morning. But we must go now, for we only have until the last rays of twilight. Once the clouds take over the entire realm, the sun will not rise on Andros for a good few months."

"Then we'd better hurry!" Panting, Bloom pushed herself through the water, with Stella, Musa, and Tecna following close behind. Flora and Layla swam at a slower pace. Tressa and the queen were faster swimmers, being mermaids, but they remained in the rear to watch out for any danger, as their attack spells were strong underwater.

Flora looked up and saw the surface ahead. "Is that the island right there?" she asked.

"Yes," affirmed the queen. "That's the island we're looking for."

"Stella, do you think you can transport us there?" she asked. "It's close enough, right?"

"It sure is!" said Stella, grabbing her ring. "Good thinking, Flor" –

Suddenly, a roar sounded from below. Flora and Layla gasped in alarm. "What _is _that?" cried Layla.

THWACK! Something hit Queen Ligea in the back. She gasped, her body shuddering as she fell through the water.

"Mother!" cried Tressa, swimming down to grab her. "No!" Flora looked downwards, and saw what it was.

It was the Kraken, freed from its enclosure.

"Winx Convergence, _now_!" yelled Bloom. The six girls, including Layla, joined hands underwater, focusing all their energy on the Kraken. The Kraken shuddered once, and then fell to the bottom of the sea.

"The Kraken isn't dead," said Layla. "Now that ring of yours would be a good idea, Stella!"

Stella expanded her ring into the scepter. "Transport us!" she yelled. In a matter of seconds, the seven girls and mermaid queen were transported to the surface.

Queen Ligea was right – the island wasn't taken over by darkness. But only a few sun rays shone from the horizon, and it would only be a matter of time before the sun disappeared completely.

"The wound the Kraken dealt is fatal," Tressa sobbed.

Flora looked over and saw the queen with alarm. She was slowly dying, her breath becoming shallower and shallower by the minute. Layla took the scepter from Tressa and held it.

"I can feel there's only enough power to heal one of us," she said. "I'm going to heal the queen. She's more important." Her blind eyes flashed. "Even if darkness descends all over Andros and I never get my eyesight back again, I will not let Queen Ligea die. Fear not, Tressa. Your mother will live!" She held the coral scepter high in the air, then held it to the queen's heart.

Queen Ligea gasped as color began to return to her face. The wound on her backside disappeared, and she began to breathe normally again. She opened her eyes, and faced Layla.

"Thank you"… she murmured.

"You saved her!" cried Tressa. "Thank you so much, Layla!"

As she spoke, a white light began to descend on Layla. Flora gasped as Layla let go of her hand and was drawn up to the sky.

"What's happening?" gasped Stella.

A blinding flash shined over her. The Winx gasped, closing their eyes at its brilliance. When it was over, they stared up, amazed at what had just happened.

Layla was hovering in midair. She was wearing a green, pink, and yellow top with purple highlights, and a striped green, pink, and yellow skirt. A lime-green band had wound its way around her throat, with a purple-and-pink pouch. She wore lime-green barefoot sandals, and her hair had been done up with a pink net. She had lime-green wings, more colorful and ornate than they'd ever been before.

"Layla – you got your Enchantix!" Musa gasped.

"Way to go!" Stella cheered. "We've only had a week of classes, and you kicked that final exam's butt!"

But Flora could tell something was still wrong. She frowned as she stared up at Layla's eyes, her milky white eyes. And then, she knew immediately what the problem was.

Layla's transformation hadn't healed her. To her, everything was still dark.


	9. Chapter 8: Night of a Millennium

**Hey everyone! This chapter is longer, and focuses more on Tecna's feelings, along with some action. Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 8: NIGHT OF A MILLENNIUM

Sunday morning dawned sunny and unseasonably cold. The ship zoomed towards Alfea, and Riven activated the dashboard for landing.

"We'll drop you off at the gate," said Brandon. "Your teachers must be worried sick about you."

"Yeah, they probably are," Bloom murmured.

Stella rolled her eyes. "Well, screw that. Saving Andros was far more important."

"We didn't save anything, Stella," Layla pointed out. "We saved Queen Ligea, but the rest of the mermaid royalty is still imprisoned. Andros is still under threat by a hurricane."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure Andros will stabilize," Stella said, trying to cheer the situation. Layla sighed.

_The situation is much direr than we thought_, thought Tecna. _Those were some dreadful mutants. _She sighed. _And who was that Valtor man? How will _he _threaten the Magical Dimension?_

The ship landed. The girls climbed off, but not before giving Stella time to hug her boyfriend. "Bye, snookums," she said.

"See you later, Stell," Brandon smiled.

The ship took off as the girls entered Alfea's gate. Several other girls were in the quad, and they let out a gasp.

"Layla! What happened to her eyes?"

"Where did they go?"

"Great heavens, there you are," a voice said. Tecna looked up as Griselda stared down at them from the balcony. "You girls gave us such a fright and – Layla! What happened?"

"It's a long, unflattering story," said Layla.

"Well, we want to hear every word of it," said Faragonda, joining Griselda. "Come up to my office and we'll discuss this further."

The girls transformed and flew up to the balcony, joining the two teachers. The fairies let out a gasp.

"Ooh! Layla has new wings!"

"Did she get her Enchantix?"

"But what _happened_?"

They sat down in the office. Layla told Faragonda every bit of the story, and she nodded her head. Then she motioned to the pendant around Layla's neck.

"Layla," she said, "you have the power to break the spell that has been cast upon you."

"I do?" Layla stared at the ground.

Faragonda sighed. "I suppose the time for secrecy is over. Layla, you are now an Enchantix fairy. The first of this graduating class, in fact." Her voice was filled with praise, but also a certain wariness that Tecna couldn't figure out. _What is she so worried about?_ "And as an Enchantix fairy, you have the power to break this enchantment. You have fairy dust."

"Fairy dust?" Musa asked in confusion. "Witches always use that term derisively. Why do they do that?"

"That is because they are afraid of it," Faragonda answered. "We have a power that they do not. It is the power to break all enchantments with evil intention." She nodded to Layla. "Now, summon your fairy dust."

"How do I do that?" Layla asked.

"You take the pouch off your neck," Faragonda responded. "The rest will be intuitive. Now, we are all waiting."

Layla grabbed her pouch from her neck. Tecna watched as she held it in the air, closing her eyes. The purple pouch opened to reveal lavender fairy-dust. She sprinkled it over her eyes.

Power surged through the air. A warm feeling, soothing and gentle, washed over them. Tecna stared in astonishment. _That… that's what happened when Faragonda healed Stella! _She stared in astonishment.

Layla's eyes lost their milky cloudiness. The haze faded away to reveal their normal, brilliant sea blue. She gasped in delight as she looked around.

"I can see!" she cried in joy.

"That's our girl Layla!" Musa cheered, running to her and grabbing her in a hug. Bloom, Flora, and Stella joined in; after some hesitation, Tecna joined in as well.

_That _was _really amazing_, she admitted to herself. _I hope that someday, I'll be able to do that myself. _She held Flora and Layla tight.

"Hold it!" Griselda ordered. "Break it up, young ladies. There's still the matter of punishment."

Uncertainly, the girls pulled back. Tecna could make out Faragonda holding back a smile as Griselda moved forward, shaking her finger.

"We have decided on your punishment," she said. Black bands appeared over their wrists, and Tecna gasped, immediately reverting back to her civilian form. "Now, your punishment is to restack the shelves of the library, _without _magic."

"And on top of all your coursework," added Faragonda. "From five to nine p.m. every night, you will work in the library. We'll put these on for you every day at five, and take them off at nine."

"Well, that can't be too bad," Stella grinned. "How many books _are _there in that library, anyways?"

"Only three hundred forty-six thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five," said Tecna.

Stella gasped. "Three hundred _thousand_?"

"How'd you come up with that number, Tecna?" asked Flora.

"Yeah," said Musa. "How'd you know that?"

Tecna's cheeks burned. She'd always been a skillful memorizer; in order to survive on Zenith, there was no way to _not _be. In her first year at Alfea, she'd done a scan of the library to make sure it was as impressive as she'd thought it was.

"Yes," she said defensively. "But that doesn't include the Restricted section. I couldn't scan that with my device." _Or my brain_, she thought privately.

"You won't be doing the Restricted section, anyways," Griselda answered. "Now you can work in the library all day. You'll want to finish a sizeable amount now; classes resume tomorrow." With a hand-wave, she dismissed the girls.

* * *

What with classes, sorting the library, and Mr. Vasiliev's work, Tecna's schedule had never been busier. It was worse than home, when she'd been doing the laboratory work full-time.

At home, she usually got five to six hours of sleep. Now in Alfea, she barely got one. There were some nights when she didn't sleep at all. In between classes, she snuck up to the dorm and took quick, fifteen-minute naps.

She told herself it was a punishment for her laziness. After all, she was nowhere near as productive as most of the other people she knew. Other interns in Mr. Vasiliev's lab worked fourteen hours a day without stopping. She was only working eight hours every night; what did she have to complain about?

She'd tried working in the dorm room once, but Musa had complained about Tecna's typing and how she couldn't sleep. So Tecna had moved to the sitting-room of the apartment. There, she was able to cast a silencing-spell so no one would be disturbed by her typing. She became an expert at brewing Readiness Potions and All-Nighter recipes, so no one would think she was working so long. And since Musa was fast asleep by the time she went to the dorm, no one questioned her. Besides, Valtor was the talk of Magix; Andros's magical relics had been stolen, along with Melody's and Solaria's. Faragonda was trying to quell the worry on campus, but it was obvious something was coming to the Magical Dimension.

In the meantime, the bullying hadn't ceased. Although Mirta's new friends, Galatea and Nova, walked with her everywhere around campus, Eris and her friends didn't stop going after Mirta. They hexed her in the hallways and sent magical origami to attack her at odd hours of the day.

Flora confided her worries with Tecna one day in the apartment, while they were both working on potions' homework.

"I'm so worried about Mirta," she said. "During other classes, I've heard that Eris and her friends keep shooting hexes at her, making fun of her because she can't cast spells the same way they can. Layla and I always make sure to watch out for her during Potions, but nothing ever happens during that class – since most of us there are seniors, the girls in that class don't care enough to cause her trouble. Since I've never actually _seen _Eris's gang hurt her, my words don't carry much weight, and Nova and Galatea are too scared to do anything. We've spoken to Griselda twice, but we weren't able to prove that Eris was the culprit. And for all her bravado, Griselda can't do much about Eris."

"Really?" Tecna asked absentmindedly.

"Yes," Flora cried, "because Eris has a lot of power, unfortunately. Her parents are on the school board! Faragonda only narrowly managed to convince the rest of the school board to let Mirta in. Griselda doesn't like Eris's behavior any more than the rest of us, but she doesn't want to overstep her role and have the school board revoke Mirta's admission!"

"That doesn't sound good at all," Tecna said in alarm. _If _Griselda_'s scared of someone, then it must be bad…_

"It _is_," Flora agreed. "What should I do, Tec? How do I make this better?"

"First of all, stop going to Griselda," Tecna advised. "She can give a few punishments, but it's not going to make things better. The girls are still going to bully Mirta."

"Then what do I do?" Flora protested. "I can't just let this keep happening! I need to make it stop!"

"Wait it out," Tecna responded. "The girls will get tired if Mirta puts up a brave face and doesn't respond to any of their comments; it's only logical, after all. In that time, Mirta will improve in her coursework."

"Okay," said Flora uneasily. "I'll try."

Tecna wished she could give better advice to her friend, but knew it was impossible. For starters, she wasn't good with this kind of thing. For another, she had too many worries on her own head to truly care about anyone else. The more work she did for Vasiliev, the worse she did in class.

The only person who really noticed her poor performance, initially at least, was Professor Avalon. He pulled her back after class to speak with her.

"You got a C on the test," he said. "I know everyone does badly once in a while, Tecna, but this isn't like you. I read all of your reports from last year, from this class" –

"You mean from the fake you?" Tecna asked bluntly. She still had a hard time talking to Avalon, especially considering how his imposter had double-crossed all of them last year. The real Avalon's cheeks went bright red.

"Yes," he said, awkwardly, "but regardless of how he betrayed everyone last year, he still had to maintain appearances; therefore, he never strayed from the curriculum. And he always wrote glowing praise about you – although his tone changed halfway through the year. I can't imagine why."

"You mean after I singed his clothes off," Tecna said, holding back a smirk at the memory.

"Perhaps," Avalon nodded. "But even then, you always scored very highly in his class. Tecna, is there something going on in your life? From the little I've seen, you're a very bright student, and" –

"It's none of your business," Tecna said abruptly. "In any case, let me be clear: I don't have time for this. Let me just do what I need to do."

She caught Avalon's pained expression as she stalked away, muttering under her breath. But she had no time for that now.

All she could think of was algorithms, coding, and more algorithms. _I can't stop now… _She sighed, lowering her gaze to the floor.

* * *

Two weeks passed. The girls finally finished sorting the library, and gazed at their work, pleased with themselves.

"We finished early – and we have half-an-hour to spare before Faragonda and Griselda come for inspection!" Stella cheered.

"In that case, why don't we have a good girl-talk?" Bloom asked.

"Yeah!" Musa grinned. "It's been a while since we've had one."

"I'll brew some tea," Flora said, rushing to get her teapot and herbs.

Five minutes later, the girls were sitting cross-legged on the floor. Flora poured each of the girls tea, and Tecna sipped hers, loving the taste of Linphean herbs and nectar. _She always does a really good job… _Stella grinned towards the girls.

"So, let's talk about my favorite subject!" she laughed. "Boys!"

"I can't wait to see Sky again," Bloom grinned. "We haven't been allowed to go out all week, but he promised we'd do something special together soon."

"Yeah, you've got the perfect guy," Stella laughed, "all thanks to me, dawling!"

_What? _Flora looked as if she was about to burst into giggles. Tecna stared at Stella in disbelief, and asked, "Are you completely sane, Stella?"

"Of course I am!" Stella grinned. "I am bonded with the pixie of _love _for a reason. Amore and I make the best team ever. In fact" – she looked towards Flora and Layla, "I think you boyless gals will be able to find someone pretty soon."

"Oh no." Musa stood up. "Stella, you are _not _trying that matchmaking stuff again. We are not going through with that!"

_I don't blame her… _thought Tecna. She remembered last year, when Stella had set Musa up with Jared without her knowing. Musa hadn't forgiven Stella for quite some time.

"Yeah, no," Layla said. "I'm happy the way I am. Besides, I don't exactly have a choice in who I marry. My parents will pick someone for me in a decade's time."

"Your loss." Stella turned to Flora. "So, who's _your _dream guy?"

Tecna saw her friend look startled. _Uh oh… _The nature-fairy composed herself, trying to look as natural as possible. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Oh please!" Stella laughed. "It's every girl's dream to be swept off her feet by an adorable guy!"

"Not mine, apparently," Flora looked at the ground.

_She's getting dangerously close to the subject_, Tecna thought, knowing full-well that Flora hadn't told the others that she was dating Mirta. _I don't think she wants them to know…_

"So, what's your type, Flora?" Bloom asked. "Is he boisterous and brave? Or artistic and quiet?"

"I" – Flora stammered.

"Probably artsy and mega-silent," Stella grinned. "And shy. Don't worry, Flora, I'm sure you'll find someone this year!"

_Okay_, thought Tecna, her head spinning. _Please let this end. _She turned around and saw Faragonda and Griselda walk in. "They're here!" she shouted.

"_Food in the library_?" Griselda asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Er" – Musa said sheepishly.

"Sorry, Ms. G," Stella said cheerfully. "We promise not to spill it on the floor."

"It would be a shame, especially considering how spotless you made this library," Faragonda said. "In fact, I believe your punishment is to be lifted."

"Oh, and by the way, Bloom, this came for you in the mail," added Griselda, thrusting her a fancy envelope.

Tecna gazed at it. The envelope was embroidered in gilt, and shined brilliantly with cursive writing: _From the Royal Family of Eraklyon_. Bloom gasped.

"Open it!" breathed Stella.

Bloom tore it open. Breathless, the girls read the card, gazing over Bloom's shoulder:

_Miss Bloom Peters of Earth:_

_You have hereby been invited to the Kingdom of Eraklyon's millennium anniversary ball, 1 Sextmensis 1012. You have been named the guest of honor of His Highness, Prince Sky Achilles Chiron of Eraklyon. Please arrive in formal attire at 16:00 sharp._

_Thank you,_

_The Royal Family of Eraklyon_

Below that was a personal note, which Bloom read to herself. When she read it, her eyes were shining. "Can you believe it? Sky wants to formally announce me as his official girlfriend!"

Tecna stared at the invitation, amazed. _A party… _She could hardly believe what was going on.

"Woo-hoo!" shouted Stella. "We're doing some mega-shopping now! I need a new dress, and so do you, Tecna! 'Cause you're not backing out of this one!"

_I'm going? _Tecna stared at Stella in surprise. _I wonder if Timmy will take me? _A part of her, the part she'd trained the hardest, shouted at her, _No, you can't go. You have work to do. _But the other part of her, the part that had grown more and more vocal now that she was away from her parents, said: _Go. It's just for one night, isn't it? You'll make it up the day after. And the day after, and the day after…_

"Haven't you forgotten something?" Faragonda asked.

Tecna jumped. Faragonda was eyeing Bloom and Stella with a smile on her face. "You've forgotten something, haven't you?"

"Oh!" Bloom jumped nervously. "Um… can we please go to the ball, Headmistress? Please?"

"Certainly," said Faragonda with a smile. "You'll miss homecoming, but I can imagine this is much more exciting."

"Yay!" shouted Stella. "Let's hit the mall!"

* * *

The work was starting to get worse. Vasiliev had started setting weekly quotas for her, and was having her finish three-thousand sets of algorithms per week. It would've been difficult enough at her home realm, but while juggling five classes on the side, it was nearly impossible.

To help mitigate her work, Tecna asked Digit to do some of her homework for her. Digit protested initially, but then acquiesced once Tecna told her how much work she had to do on the side.

"You have to do _that _much?" she asked, horror-struck. "Tecna, I don't get it. Why do you have to make so many algorithms?"

"It's the company I work for," Tecna answered. "Don't worry, Digit. If I'm efficient, I'll get today's work done in six hours and thirty-five-point-two minutes."

"That's _still_ too much!" Digit paced around. "No wonder you don't have any time for anything else!"

"Please, Digit," Tecna begged her. "Look, I swear you won't have to do this for too long. The work will come to a close soon; Mr. Vasiliev never has me work into the school year. I'm sure that, a few weeks from now, I'll be fine."

This was a complete lie; Vasiliev had never said anything about the work letting up. In fact, he'd made it sound like the complete opposite. Digit sighed and shook her head.

"You're my bonded fairy, Tecna," she said, "and I'll do this for you. I can tell this work is really important to you." She settled on the table and opened her portable laptop.

Digit wasn't wrong about that; the work _was _very important to Tecna. _But not for the reason she thinks… _The two of them worked side-by-side in silence, Digit humming to herself as she looked up the answers to DuFour's worksheet on aeroflynamics.

Tecna smiled down at her pixie, who, attentively as ever, focused on her work. _I knew I could count on her… _It reminded her of that day last Sextmensis, after they'd bonded in the Alfea quad…

The two of them had been cuddled up in Tecna and Musa's room, playing computer games. Bloom, Stella, and Musa had been out on dates, and Flora had been visiting Mirta in the hospital. As Tecna wasn't dating Timmy yet, she was with Digit, and the two of them cheered as their WinxCart sped across the racetrack.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Great programming!"

"Here's to future engineers!"

Tecna smiled; she hadn't been this happy in a long time. Bloom, Stella, and Layla's mission had been extraordinarily stressful for her, Flora, and Musa; many a night had been spent anxiously watching them on Realmwide Maps. In the stress that had ensued, one of her spinal circuits had gone undone, which at times made it difficult to move her fingers. But now her friends had come home safely, which left Tecna free to play with her new pixie friend. _Even with my fingers not at full function, I can still play this game pretty well._

"It was nothing," she said modestly. "Nothing you couldn't have done without me."

She flicked the screen to the next level. She was about to hit START when Digit added, "So, I've been meaning to ask you: how annoying is that broken circuit in your spine?"

Tecna gasped out loud, turning around to face Digit. _How did she know? _The pixie sighed.

"I'm a techno-pixie, okay?" she said. "I can sense your wiring. And you've got a lot of it. In fact, I'd say you have enough electricity to light this entire school up."

"You can't tell anyone, Digit," Tecna whispered. "If you tell anyone, I'll be expelled from Alfea. Cyborgs are forbidden from attending UR Defense Schools!"

"Well, that's a load of glitches," Digit said indignantly. "You're so good at coding, and they don't want you to train to defend the world! What are they scared of, exactly?"

"That's how the world is," Tecna said sadly. "You have to promise me, Digit. Promise you won't tell anyone."

"I've got your back, Tecna," said Digit, flying up to Tecna's spine. "Quite literally." She snuck under Tecna's shirt.

"I'll fix your broken wiring for you," she assured her friend. "Just hold still for a moment." She concentrated her magic on Tecna's spine.

Tecna gasped as electrical energy tingled up her spine, connecting every nerve into one big tree. She felt her fingers tingle, and then a bold surge of magic zapped them, sending life into her hand.

She gingerly wiggled her fingers. _Unbelievable… _Whereas it would've taken her a good portion of any evening to figure out her problem, Digit had fixed it in mere seconds. She smiled at her bonded pixie.

"Thank you so much," she breathed.

"No problem," Digit smiled. "Oh, and by the way, your secret's safe with me. I won't tell a soul." She flew towards the screen. "Now, how about the next level?"

And now, they were working on their work and assignments, respectively. Side-by-side, fairy and pixie worked until midnight, when, worn out by the amount of work, they both fell asleep.

As the week passed by, Linphean-Zenithian relationships plummeted to an all-time low. The realms continued to fight about trade, and imposed reverse-sanctions on one another. She knew Flora was watching the news, too, though she tried to avoid it in conversation when they were together. _I don't want her to feel bad…_

And now, they were boarding the ship to Eraklyon. Timmy gasped as soon as he saw Tecna.

"You look so beautiful," he gasped.

"Thanks," Tecna smiled, a blush coming to her face. She was wearing a deep purple dress made of satin, with orange ribbons tied. No sparkles – Tecna had drawn the line on that – but it was bright enough that no one would think she was the cyborg from Zenith. Except for her parents, who would recognize her anywhere.

That was the problem. As they flew, Tecna pulled Timmy aside so they could talk.

"We can't get in any pictures together," she whispered. "The pictures from the ball will be all over the Realm Wide Web, and if my parents find out I'm dating you, they'll be furious. I don't want them to find out."

"Tec, are you sure about this?" Timmy asked uncertainly. "We can't keep hiding from them forever."

"I know," she whispered. "And Timmy, I know how hard this is for you. But I can't let them find out – not yet, at least. Is that okay?"

"Of course, Tecna," Timmy nodded. "I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I'm so excited!" Chatta squealed, flying up and down. She was wearing a shimmering green dress, one that made her golden hair stand out. All of the pixies were dressed-up, in fact, wearing beautiful colors. They were grinning as they looked at their respective fairies.

"Sorry about missing the Princess Ball," Digit said, her indigo suit contrasting against the other pixies' dresses. "We had some work to do, helping the Pixie Elders move our Village. But we're ready for this today!"

"Actually, I'm kinda glad you missed the last one, to be honest," Stella said sheepishly. She was wearing a vibrant orange dress, one that, in Tecna's opinion, was too bright for her fair coloring. Her jewelry and her tiara looked ridiculous; anyone would think she was the star of the show, not Bloom. But she was beaming as she put her arm around her friend.

"You're gonna be amazing," she gushed.

"But what if I mess up?" Bloom asked nervously. "What if I trip on my dress? What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong," Stella assured her. "You're gonna be just fab-u-lous!"

But, as it turned out, Bloom would be right. Things would go much, much worse than they'd expected.

The ship landed. The boys walked together, and the girls walked separately from them. They would not be meeting as couples until the start of the ball; Eraklyon, like Andros, was very traditional. Tecna waved goodbye to Timmy as he walked away.

Mirta was going to join Flora, but was pulled away by Stella, who was fussing with some problem about her dress. That left Flora to join Tecna, who looked over at Tecna nervously. Tecna swallowed, not meeting her friend's gaze. The Linphean fairy lightly touched her arm.

"Look, Tec," she said, "I know you haven't been sleeping well at night. Half the days, you look dead during Magiphilosophy. I didn't say anything to the others, because I didn't want them to worry, and I wanted to talk to you first. What's been going on?"

Tecna swallowed again. _Vasiliev… _She'd worked extra hard this entire week to make sure she could come to the party. It had been extremely exhausting, and she'd had to force potions down her throat to stay awake throughout the day.

_I can't tell Flora about him_, she thought. It'd already been a huge risk to tell Timmy; she couldn't bear to tell anyone else. If they found out about her cyborg machinery, then she could pack her bags and kiss Alfea goodbye.

"I have work to do," Tecna said instead. "I'm employed by a friend of my father's."

"But this much work?" Flora scrunched her head in worry. "Tecna, why are you doing this?"

"I have to," Tecna responded. "My family owes everything to him. And so do I. I – I can't explain" –

"You don't have to," Flora answered. "Just promise me one thing, okay, Tec?"

"What is it?" Tecna asked.

"Promise me you won't hurt yourself," Flora answered. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Tecna. Please, promise me that."

Tecna nodded. "I won't."

Flora smiled, and there was genuine sweetness in her expression. A question came into Tecna's head, and she frowned.

"Flora, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Flora smiled. "What is it?"

"How do you express yourself without fear of persecution? You, well, you like Mirta," she said awkwardly, "but how do you do it? How do you stay with her, even when the society around you doesn't want you that way? How do you do it?"

Flora let out a sigh. "Honestly? I think it was my parents that made all the difference. I told them I was lesbian when I was sixteen, right before going to Alfea, and they've been nothing but supportive. There are some judgmental people in my village, but the climate is much less suffocating than Alfea, where just about every girl is straight. But I think the biggest difference comes from the parents, Tecna."

_That's true_, Tecna realized, a wave of envy shooting through her. Her parents wouldn't even let her be with her boyfriend, Timmy. And if she had happened to like girls…

"But even if your parents don't accept you for who you are," Flora continued, "you know I always will, Tecna. And if you happen to be bi, I'll give you tips on going out with girls."

Tecna smiled at her. "I'm glad to hear it, Flora. But don't worry; I'm straight." She sighed. "I take it the other girls don't know about you and Mirta."

"No." Flora shook her head. "I don't know how they would take the news if Mirta and I tell them. So for now, can we just keep it between you and me?"

"Got it." Tecna smiled. "I figured as much when you avoided Stella's questions that morning. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." It pleased her, to have a secret that she and Flora could keep between themselves. _Flora must really trust me… despite everything that's going on between her and my realm._

"The ceremony's about to start!" Bloom shouted from ahead. The girls shut up and joined their friends at the front of the crowd.

Tecna gazed around the crowd. It seemed that the royalty and nobility from every kingdom was there. There was Queen Isabel and Prince Alberto of Linphea, King Jun and Queen Li of Melody, and… King Radius and Countess Cassandra. Stella let out a gasp of outrage. "How dare she show _her _face here?"

"Shh!" Bloom said, pointing to the steps of the palace.

Prince Sky was standing, wearing a handsome blue royal cape with golden adornments. He smiled warmly at Bloom, who smiled back. He was standing at the top of the steps, next to his father, King Erendor, and mother, Queen Samara.

"Greetings, everyone!" he shouted. The onlookers quieted and gazed eagerly at him. "I want to thank you all for joining in this great celebration with us. As Crown Prince of this realm, I have come of age. I want to tell you about a girl I've met, who makes my eyes shine with joy every time I see her. She is the most beautiful and amazing girl in the Magical Dimension. I want the whole kingdom to know about the girl I'm dating right now." He smiled. Bloom stepped forward eagerly, joy lighting up her eyes.

"My friends, without further ado, let me introduce you to the love of my life… Lady Diaspro of Isis!"

A pale-haired girl wearing a taffeta red dress stepped out of the shadows, her eyes gleaming wickedly. Tecna gasped in shock as she stepped forward, taking Sky's hand in her own. Most of the crowd cheered, particularly the Isis crowd.

But for the Winx, this was nothing short of horror.

_This is completely irrational_, thought Tecna. Sky, who had never done anything cruel to anyone, was now publicly disowning his girlfriend of two years? _Why is he doing this? What is going on?_

Bloom gasped, tears falling down her eyes. "I feel so strange… like everything is coming to an end," she cried.

"I can't believe it," gasped Flora, holding Bloom's shoulders before she could collapse. "Why would he do this?"

"He must really love Diaspro," Bloom sobbed. "It just took him until now to figure it out."

"Amore, what's going on?" Lockette turned to the pixie of love, who was staring at her crystal.

"I don't know," she wailed. "The crystal – it's conflicted. This has never happened before. Oh, and here I thought today would be a beautiful day for love!"

Tecna could barely control her breathing. She stared at Bloom in alarm, wishing there was something, _anything_, she could do. _But I can't do anything about her feelings –_

"I think we need to hear this directly from the Royal Cheater himself!" Stella said, firing up. "In fact, I'm gonna go over there and find out exactly what's going on!"

She stormed towards the steps. A guard, seeing the incoming princess, tried to stop her, but she simply halted him with a snap of her fingers. She was followed by Layla and Musa.

"Let's go," Flora said. She squeezed Mirta's hand once, whispering, "We'll be back, sweetie." Tecna and Bloom followed Stella, Layla, and Musa, and Flora undid the spell on the confused guard.

Diaspro was hugging Sky. Rage filled up in Tecna as she stared at the two, disgusted. _If someone took my Timmy away from me – _She stopped, taken aback by her own possessive thought.

Diaspro whispered something in Sky's ears. Suddenly, Sky jumped up, glaring at the girls. "Guards! Go get those witches!"

"What?" gasped Bloom. "Sky, what are you" –

"They're here, disguised as Alfea fairies!" Sky shouted. "They're terrorists, come to destroy this national holiday!" He glared at the guards. "After them!"

The guards' eyes hardened. They drew their weapons and ran towards Bloom. Tecna watched, transfixed, as Bloom did nothing to defend herself.

"That is a lie!" she shouted.

"You expect them to believe us?" Stella cried, grabbing Bloom. The girls ran towards the palace gardens, panting. Tecna did her best to keep up with the others, fighting hard not to trip over her dress.

HEARTBEAT 147.4 BEATS PER MINUTE, flashed across her vision. UNUSUALLY HIGH. SEEK CAUTI –

_Shut up! _thought Tecna irritably. _I have to help my friends! _She focused on the girls in front.

"They're gaining on us!" Layla cried.

"I'll block them for a moment," Flora said. Vine creepers appeared behind them, and the guards hollered angrily. The girls ran as quickly as they could, rushing into the maze.

"First Sky disses Bloom, and then he calls us witches," Musa said. "He's gotta be spelled!"

"The same kind of spell that was cast on Stella," Layla added.

"After them!" a guard yelled, and Tecna snuck a look back. They'd sliced through the magivines and were now running towards the girls.

"That's it!" Layla yelled. "We're transforming, right now! Winx Enchantix!"

"Magic Winx!" shouted everyone except Bloom. Tecna felt her suit appearing, and for a moment, gasped in relief at no longer being in fancy party clothes, clothes that her parents would definitely disapprove of. _Although I don't think the Eraklyon family will be posting any pictures of us after this… _The guards let out a yell.

"I'll stop them!" Layla called, creating a barrier. The guards tried to attack the barrier, but their darts rebounded on them and they gasped, cursing. Layla smiled.

"My Enchantix spell makes it a lot stronger!" she called. "So see how you like that!"

"No, see how you like _this_!" a voice shouted. Sky was above them, riding a dragon. The dragon bellowed once, and a ray of fire cascaded, hitting Flora directly.

"Flora!" Musa cried, and Tecna watched in horror as her friend collapsed to the ground.

"We're here!" a voice behind them called. The Specialists, Mirta, and the Pixies had made it to the ship, and it was now hovering above them. "Get into the ship!"

"We'll get Flora," added Brandon and Riven, picking her up.

Mirta glared up at Sky. "What did you do to my – I mean, what did you do to Flora?"

Tecna saw Layla and Musa exchange a puzzled look. But it was quickly forgotten as Sky yelled, "That's nothing compared to _this_!" His dragon let out a mighty roar, spewing out a torrent of flames straight towards Brandon, Riven, and Flora –

"No!" Bloom yelled, dissipating the fire just before it could reach Flora. "That's it, Sky. I'm not letting you hurt my friends anymore!" She transformed, flying up to challenge Sky.

The dragon roared again, and Tecna gasped in horror. More dragons broke out of the royal armory, and people were screaming, stampeding one another in the rush to get away. In the path of one particularly brutal dragon was King Radius, who had been knocked to the ground.

"No!" Stella cried, and she soared towards the dragon. Tecna watched in horror as the dragon pounced on Radius, letting out a breath of fire…

And Stella jumped right in front of it.

She screamed in pain, trying to deflect the flames away but eventually succumbing to her power. Letting out one last cry, she fell to the ground.

"Stella!" shouted Brandon in alarm.

And then, a light began to shine on her. The Winx watched, transfixed, as another blinding light flashed over her. The same light that had engulfed Layla just a few weeks ago.

"Her Enchantix!" Layla shouted. "She's getting it at last!"

The light died away. Stella was standing, wearing a floating orange-and-pink top and orange-and-pink skirt, tied with turquoise lace. Turquoise barefoot sandals were strapped on her legs, and a blue band with an orange-and-pink pouch was around her neck. She wore a turquoise crown barrette in her hair. Her wings were luminous, orange with pink, blue, and yellow prism designs.

"My Enchantix!" she cried out.

Suddenly, she squealed as she was grabbed from behind. An Eraklyonese guard grabbed her, throwing a black band around her arm. She immediately reverted back to her civilian form, confused and stunned.

"We're taking this one to the dungeon," he said.

"No!" Brandon yelled. "Stella!"

"There's nothing we can do!" Timmy cried. "Come on, let's get out of here before they take us, too!"

He dove into the ship. Tecna and the other girls followed him; after an urgent plea, Brandon followed as well. The ship closed just as the guards ran at it, snarling and glaring.

"We'd better hide in the forest, before we become toast," Musa said. "Don't worry, Brandon, we'll save her."

Tecna's mind was whirling at an abysmal rate. She looked to Bloom, who was profusely sobbing as well. Then she looked over at Flora, who was still lying motionless next to Mirta.

What was going on? What dark force had uprooted all common sense and made Eraklyon completely irrational?

* * *

**So, what'd you think? A lot was packed into this chapter. What do you think about Tecna's predicament? What about Mirta? I know I diverged quite a bit from canon in this chapter, but it'll still work out.**

**Next pair of chapters:**

**\- The group heads toward the Eraklyonese palace, trying to free Stella.**

**\- Flora thinks back on sophomore year and how she developed feelings for Mirta.**

**\- Tecna remembers the day she met Timmy, and about how she started to trust Flora.**

**AOTD: ****I love the Trix, particularly the 4Kids version. They just have the funniest, wittiest lines, and are truly the embodiment of mean girls. The Cinélume Trix is okay, the Nick Trix is complete trash. I also liked the Wizards of the Black Circle – they're the villains we love to hate, and are completely, irredeemably evil. Valtor was okay, but Darkar was kind of lame – he basically made the Trix do all his dirty work. Tritannus is not even worth mentioning.**

**QOTD:****What other books, shows, or media do you guys enjoy?**


	10. Chapter 9: Storming Eraklyon

**Hey everyone, glad to see you back! I left you all on a cliffhanger, so sorry about that! You might want to re-read the second part of last chapter to remember what happened.**

**Up now: Flora!**

* * *

CHAPTER 9: STORMING ERAKLYON

Flora awoke as the ship landed in the forest, wincing as she opened her eyes. "What happened?"

"Lie down," Riven called. "You're still not well."

Flora ignored him, sitting up. Slowly her vision returned, and she could make out the expressions on her friends' faces. At Bloom's tearful expression, at Layla and Musa's worried ones, at Tecna's thoughtful one. But there was someone missing.

"Stella," she gasped. "Where is she?"

"She was captured," Timmy answered, pointing to Brandon, who was sitting huddled on the floor. "And now, the Eraklyon guard is after us. They're five minutes behind us on the radar, but they'll soon reach us."

"I can try casting an illusion-spell," Mirta offered. "I _am _a fairy of the night, after all."

"Are you sure?" Flora stared at her in surprise. "You only have your Winx powers. How will you be able to cast such a high-level spell?"

"If we combine her illusion-power with my Enchantix powers, we should be able to shield ourselves from their radar," Layla said. "Come on, let's go." She and Mirta flew out of the spaceship.

A powerful neon-colored energy shot over them. Flora knew they were cloaked in shadows, and that no would see them now.

The ship landed in the dense forest. Flora let out a yawn, realizing just how tired she was. It was well after midnight, and they were all exhausted.

"The Eraklyon army is probably after us, too," said Timmy. "This won't protect us for long."

"We'll all take turns keeping guard," Layla answered, looking around. "All except Bloom and Brandon. They're too emotionally hurt right now."

"Forget about that," said Brandon, clenching his fists. "I want to go find Stella right now" –

"We can't do that unless we're rested," Riven said practically. "We all need to sleep."

"Flora shouldn't keep guard, either," Mirta added, coming in front of her defensively. "She's just been injured."

There was a silence. Flora could tell the others were confused about her and Mirta; no one understood what was going on. Layla and Musa were watching them with surprised eyes. _Oh, please don't let them find out about us…_

"That's fine," Tecna said quickly. "I'll set up a radar, too, so we know if anyone's coming. In the meantime, let's sleep. We need to be rested for tomorrow, so we can plan our infiltration."

Flora and Mirta went outside to sleep, followed by Riven, who was keeping guard. Flora looked up at the trees.

"Goodnight," she murmured. Then she curled up on the grass and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Brandon looked to be much healthier, though he was still in poor spirits. As they ate some stale provisions from the ship, he took out a map of the palace.

"I know some secret passages," he said, "which we can follow into the palace. This one takes us directly to the dungeons." He pointed it out on the map.

"But there'll be lots of guards," Timmy pointed out. "What'll we do?"

"Divert their attention," Brandon answered. "You, Riven, Mirta, and the Pixies create a diversion with the spaceship, while I go with the Winx to free Stella."

"But that isn't all," Bloom added. "We also need to break the spell on Sky."

"I don't think that's possible," Riven said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Bloom cried.

"Think about it," Riven said. "What if Sky wasn't under a spell? What if he's made a choice he's happy with, a jerky move but still a choice?"

"How could you even _say_ that?" Bloom clenched her fists.

"I'm just being practical," Riven said defensively. "Even Amore's crystal couldn't tell what was going on. We have no proof he was acting under a spell."

"Way to be supportive, Riven," snapped Musa.

There was a silence. Flora gazed at Mirta, wondering what she'd do if Mirta went the same way as Sky. _I think I'd burst. _She knew Bloom was handling it much more strongly than she would've.

"Let's just go with the original plan, but with a few modifications," Brandon said. "Flora, Tecna, and I will go and find Stella. Bloom, Layla, and Musa, you go after Sky and do your best to change his mind. The rest of you stay back and create as much of a diversion as you can."

"On it," Riven grinned. "I know of some pretty good diversions."

"Yeah, totally!" agreed Chatta, firing up. "We Pixies know what we're doing when it comes to that!"

"Okay then," Brandon nodded. "Follow me; I'll lead the way!"

Flora smiled at Mirta. "Good luck," she whispered.

"Good luck to you, too," Mirta said. "You sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me," Flora whispered. "Just please promise me you'll be careful."

"Hey, I went through a full body transformation last year," Mirta answered, looking slightly put-off. "You know I can handle it, Flora."

"Of course I do," Flora answered, resisting the urge to stroke her hair. _I couldn't bear for Mirta to get captured the same way Stella was. _What with all the bullying going on at school, she didn't want anything to happen to Mirta.

She knew, at times, that she was too protective of her girlfriend. But she still couldn't forget what had happened last year, when Mirta had been undergoing her transformation. It had been a scary time, one she'd never forget…

It had been a hot Octomensis day in Palladium's class. The other girls had complained about the heat, but not Flora; she was too busy daydreaming about Mirta.

Mirta's transformation was going very well. She was staying in the hospital, and Flora was visiting her as often as she possibly could. She found herself looking forward immensely to visiting her, to a degree which confused her. _Why do I want to see her all the time?_

"Attention girls!" Palladium announced. "I know it's a hot day and you don't want to be here" – to this the girls grumbled – "so we're going to do something fun." Immediately, the girls perked up.

Flora wasn't paying any attention. _Oh, Mirta… I hope you're managing fine… _She drew a rose in her notebook, one that was pink and beautiful, and imagined it in Mirta's hands. _But… why? Why do I want that so badly? _She sighed.

Palladium was holding a padlock in his hands. "This padlock is called a _cincinno cattus_, because witches used them to protect their cat-familiars in the Age of Antiquity. We're going to open this padlock with an _Elventhien _incantation. Now, when using one of the nine ancient languages of Magix, pronunciation is critical. It is pronounced _patentibus mytrus_. Who would like to give it a shot?"

"Me," Bloom said, standing up eagerly. She walked to the front of the room, and focused her energy on the lock. "_Patentibus mytrus_!"

The lock transformed immediately, opening with a red swirl. Palladium beamed at her.

"Excellent!" he said. "Now watch what happens when I change a syllable." He closed his eyes. "_Patentibus mytros_!"

The lock transformed instantly, denting itself into the shape of a cat. It let out an unexpected, very loud meow. The girls all laughed.

"Ooh, kitty kitty!"

"Looks like we need some cat food!"

Flora wasn't paying any attention. _I'd like to get Mirta a cat… _She smiled, imagining herself with Mirta, holding her hand as they walked out into a Linphean forest…

"Flora, your turn!"

Flora shot her eyes up. Palladium was staring at her, looking not at all amused. _Okay… _She got up and closed her eyes, concentrating her magical energy.

"_Patentibus… Mirta_!" she shouted.

Immediately, the lock went berserk. "Meow-meow!" it shouted, jumping up and down. Palladium tried to grab it, but it scuttled around the room, jumping out of the grasp. He glared at her.

"Flora!"

The girls were in hysterics. Flora saw Musa falling out of her chair, Bloom and Stella giggling unceremoniously, and Layla gasping between pants. Even Tecna was laughing. She stared at them, confused and put-off.

"I don't know what happened," she said later to Mirta, as they both sat on her hospital bed. "He looked so annoyed with me. And – everyone was just laughing the whole time."

"I know the feeling," Mirta looked sympathetic. "It's horrible, when people laugh at you for making a mistake."

Flora winced. "Oh, Mirta"… She put her arm around her friend's shoulders. "I'm so sorry."

Mirta nodded. Flora found it hard not to tremble, especially when she was so close to this beautiful girl, someone she cherished so much. _But… why? Why do I feel this way?_

She gazed down at the girl. She was looking surprisingly healthy and in good shape; the transformation was going much more smoothly than anyone had expected. Some of her features had changed noticeably. Her skin was softer, and her face was rounder. All of those were distinct fairy-features, which the transformation spells had clearly done a good job of. _She'll be a fairy in no time…_

"Flora?" Mirta interrupted her thoughts. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Flora pulled away, almost as if she was stung. Mirta was staring at her with a perplexed expression on her face, and Flora felt her cheeks heat up.

"Sorry," she said, rather timidly. "I – I was just thinking of how healthy you look. You've managed quite well."

"Yeah," Mirta said, looking frustrated. "I wish I wasn't stuck here, in the hospital. It gets so _boring_, sitting here all day long. It's just… it really sucks." She let out a sigh. "But I can't go home."

"Why can't you just tell your parents?" Flora whispered. "I'm sure they would understand" –

"No," Mirta said, cutting her off. "They don't understand me at all." She closed her eyes.

"From the moment I was born, they were disappointed in me. I only acquired magical ability at age ten, whereas every other witch in the neighborhood could cast spells at age six. And even then, I never showed any interest in learning to brew potions or incant hexes. I was always much more interested in flying. And they scorned me, saying that I might as well just be a fairy. They just don't _care _for me at all."

"Mirta"… Flora stared at her in shock. _How could any parents be like this? _They'd compared her, treated her like dirt, and thrown her under a rug. "I'm so sorry." She hugged her tightly.

Mirta stiffened for a moment, and Flora was afraid she'd gone too far. Then she felt Mirta squeeze her tightly. Flora felt her heart beat exponentially faster, something she hadn't expected.

_But she's another girl_, she thought frantically. _I – I can't –_

Suddenly, Mirta fell back, her legs shaking uncontrollably. She had an anguished look on her face as she fell back, her body moving into spasms. _What's going on?_ Flora stood up immediately, running to the door.

"Nurse!" she yelled. "Mirta needs help!"

Two nurses immediately rushed in. Mirta lay helplessly on the bed, magical sparks shooting out of her body. A nurse immediately hooked her up to a machine, apparently trying to contain the magic.

But that only agitated her even further. A spark shot out, directly singing Flora. The force was harsher than she'd imagined, and she fell to the ground, crying out with pain.

"You need to leave, _now_," one of the nurses told Flora.

"But Mirta" – Flora cried.

"Go!" the nurse yelled, and Flora sped out.

"We'll call you when we confirm what happened," the doctor said. She'd just arrived on the scene, and moved forward to assist the nurses in what they needed.

An hour passed. Flora sat in the waiting-room, sick with worry. _What could've happened? _Why was Mirta so ill? Just before coming to see her, she'd been absolutely fine – better than normal, in fact. _But now she's…_

"Flora," a voice called. The doctor was standing there, looking grim.

"She's not looking good," she said. "Her immune system is starting to fight the transformation. The potions we've been using have suppressed her immune system so far, but now her body's starting to fight back. We're hoping we'll be able to bypass her immune system and get the transformation through."

"And if not?" Flora gasped.

"If her body rejects the transformation," the doctor said, "then she'll go into shock, and we'll have to hook her to the ventilator. None have survived after that stage, so if that happens"… She didn't finish her sentence.

_No_, thought Flora, frantically. _I thought – this can't happen! _She could scarcely breathe.

"Don't worry," the doctor said, gently. "We will do our absolute best to make sure she's okay." She looked closely at Flora. "You really care about her, don't you?"

And Flora did, but it was more than just a friendly love. _It's… I'm… _And at that moment, she knew what it was.

_I'm in love with Mirta. _The realization dawned on her, and she stared down. _I'm in love with another girl._

* * *

"Shh," Brandon whispered as they walked into the dungeons. "This place is swarming with guards."

Cell after cell they'd walked by. Flora wished she could transform, but she knew it'd attract too much attention. They would have to wait for the right time.

"I hate this!" a voice wailed. "I hate this I hate this I hate this I hate this!"

"Stella!" Flora gasped.

"Shh!" Tecna said warningly as they approached.

"How about a quick stunning spell, just for the guard blocking Stella's door?" Brandon whispered, pointing to a woman standing in front of the cell.

"Good idea!" said Tecna. "Digital slap!" The guard toppled over.

"Ivy catcher!" added Flora, calling a group of magivines to catch the woman before she hit the ground. The magivines braced her, preventing her from receiving any injuries or creating a noise that'd alert the other guards.

"Stella!" gasped Brandon. "There you are!" He ran up to her.

"Get the key for my arm-band!" Stella pointed out.

"Ivy locater," Flora whispered, motioning for the ivy to search for they key in the woman's pocket. It found it and gave it over to her.

"Here goes," she whispered, unlocking Stella's band. "Okay, now we've got to get out of here."

"We sure do!" said Stella, looking around with distaste. "Do you have any idea how bad this is for my hair? I need shampoo and essential oils, that's what I need" –

A shout rang out. "Who dares infiltrate the dungeons?"

"Run!" Stella gasped. The girls transformed, at the same moment two female guards came out of their quarters.

"The witch girl's escaping!" one of them yelled. "We should've put her in the high security vault!"

"It was His Majesty's orders," spat the other one. "He won't put her in the high vaults until she's been convicted. A foolish move, if you ask me." She shot an attack at the girls.

"Digital screen!" Tecna yelled.

"Floral diffusion!" Flora added.

The two girls converged their powers to create a shield. The guards ran at them, holding their swords high in the air. Brandon leapt in front of the three girls, drawing his spear and dueling with the two women.

"Girls, go up and help the others save Sky," he said. "He's more important than me. We need to prove Diaspro's deception!"

"But snookums"… Stella gasped.

"GO!" Brandon roared, bringing down his sword. The girls ran towards the exit of the dungeons, up into the first floor.

Above them, they could hear screaming. Guards were running back and forth; in the confusion, no one noticed Flora, Tecna, and Stella. They were cursing, running towards the elevator.

"Faster!" Stella yelled, transforming and flying towards the second floor.

"It's the witches!" shouted one of the soldiers. "We need to stop them!"

"Come _on_!" Stella hissed at Flora and Tecna. "We need to get out of here!"

But Flora and Tecna were nowhere near as fast as Stella. While she soared into the air effortlessly, without any problem, they knew they wouldn't get out of the room before the soldiers arrived.

"Stella, go find Sky," said Tecna. "Flora and I will take care of the guards."

"Okay!" shouted Stella, flying ahead. "Good luck!"

"Ivy snake!" called Flora, linking hands with Tecna. Roots began to appear at the ground.

"Technological terseness!" added Tecna.

The vines grew up. With Tecna's spell, they grew taut, forcing the men to trip on them. While they lay on the ground, the vines grew up and twisted around them.

"Nice one, Tec!" Flora said.

"And to think we thought floral energy didn't work with technology," Tecna smiled, referring to when they'd worked together last year on their Convergence project**. **"Now, let's go."

"I'm coming with you!" Brandon had appeared, and was joining them. "Let's go and see what's up with Sky" –

"Wait, look!" Tecna pointed out the window. "They're escaping!"

Flora stared. Bloom, Stella, Layla, and Musa were flying out the window, with guards flying on saucers after them.

"Were we successful or not?" she asked uncertainly.

"Whatever the case, it's time for retreat," said Brandon. "Let's go!"

Tecna broke the window. The two girls flew towards the glass, but then frowned as they saw Brandon. "What about you?"

"You can't do anything for me!" Brandon shouted. "I think they've done what they needed to do. Worst comes to worst, I'll get arrested, but my prominence with Sky will help me." He frowned. "Now go!"

The girls flew out. People were screaming in the streets below them; it looked like something had happened. _What did Riven do?_

"The ship's nearby!" Tecna yelled. "Let's go!"

Flora looked and saw she was right. She looked behind in alarm, seeing some of the guards had freed themselves from the ivy trap and were flying after them.

"Go!" she yelled. The ship compartment opened, and they dove in, gasping. Then the ship zoomed off, sailing into the sky.

"Flora! Tecna!" Bloom cried. "You're here!"

"Yes," said Flora, frowning. "What happened, guys?"

"Stella managed to break the spell on Sky," said Musa, "but then we had to run. The guards were coming after us, and Sky was too disoriented to order them off."

"What about Brandon?" asked Stella fearfully.

Flora wished she had better news to give her.

"He's been arrested," she said. "But don't worry, Stell. I'm sure he'll find his way out, now that the spell's been broken."

"I sure hope so, too," sighed Stella.

But they couldn't worry about that now. Flora frowned as she gazed at Bloom. "How did Sky get spelled? What happened?"

Bloom's eyes were grim. "It was Valtor, Flora. We identified his mark – it was the same mark that was cast on the mutants in Andros. While we were running around yesterday, chased by the guards, he must've come here and taken Eraklyon's spells. Don't you see? He's the cause of all these problems!"


	11. Chapter 10: Vasiliev's Command

**Up next: Tecna!**

* * *

CHAPTER 10: VASILIEV'S COMMAND

"Andros is wet, Andros is dark, and Andros is useless," Valtor said. "The mutants serve no function anymore. We've taken all the spells this miserable realm has to offer; now we need to relocate. So you three give me some ideas."

The three witches and their master were in an underground hideout concealed by Valtor's collection of spells. Stealthily and undetected, Valtor had stolen the magical treasures of Melody, Solaria, Andros, Eraklyon, and Whisperia. It had been even easier to go to non-UR protected realms, such as Om, Oppositus, and Espero; those futile kingdoms had been unable to defend themselves against invasions. The witches frowned, in deep thought.

"Why don't we go to Shadowhaunt, Darkar's old place?" Stormy suggested.

"Do you really want to be reminded of that jerk?" Darcy asked disdainfully. "We're not going there. Besides, his old servants would probably turn on us the moment we enter."

"We need a place filled with ancient power," Valtor pointed out, "where I can keep this collection of spells."

"How about Cloud Tower Castle?" suggested Icy. "The school for witches, set up by the United Realms in Year 10 of the Age of Unity, along with Alfea and Red Fountain. A school tied to the history of Whisperia, our home realm."

"Hmmm." Valtor nodded, and Icy could tell he liked the idea. "Very interesting."

"It would be so much fun to go back there and kick Griffin's butt," Stormy sniggered. "She can't expel us for long, can she?"

"So _that's _what Griffin's doing, then? Headmistress of a UR school?" Valtor asked suddenly, his eyes flashing. "She and I have a score to settle. So it's decided, then. Cloud Tower it is!"

* * *

"Hey, Tec! Wake up!"

Tecna woke up with a start in Palladium's classroom. Numbers had swirled through her dreams, and she gasped as she saw what was going on.

Five other heads were staring at her. To be precise, girls of the Winx Club. Musa, who sat in the seat next to her, took her hand.

"What's up, Tec? It's not like you ta fall asleep durin' class. I mean, that's a Stella thing."

"Hey!" said Stella, stung. "I don't _always_ do that!"

"Yeah, sure," laughed Layla. "I've never actually seen you pay attention during a class. And you barely study, too."

"Seriously, Tecna, are you okay?" Flora asked. "You've been rather down lately."

Tecna sighed. It had been a week since the events on Eraklyon; she supposed everyone had been down lately. Although Sky had made amends with Bloom and a court had exonerated Brandon and banished Diaspro, the news had been far from pleasant. Just last week, Valtor had attacked Fulgur and Summa, the realm of storms and realm of natural elements, respectively. Luna of Solaria and Priscilla of Linphea had been sent on a mission to guard the realm, along with two sophomores: Yasmin of Fulgur and Sofía of Linphea. They'd come back unsuccessful, having been unable to even find Valtor and stop him from enacting his spells.

"I'm fine," she said, attempting a smile. "I've just been overworked, I suppose. There's so much work this semester."

"Tell me about it," groaned Musa. "There's hardly any time to write my compositions or practice my flute."

"And I can barely squeeze in a two-hour date with Brandon on Fridays," Stella added. "Like seriously! And tests in _Aeroflynamics_, of all classes? It's supposed to be an easy class!"

"It sucks," agreed Bloom, "but I'm glad we're doing this. The teachers say they're stepping up our training because it's our final year, but I really think it's because of Valtor."

"I can't believe the UR still hasn't caught him," Flora added. "They've been sending all their forces after him, and he just hasn't been found."

"What's up with Ms. F, anyways?" Stella asked. "She always avoids questions about Valtor. It's like she's been hiding information from us."

"I've tried checking the library," Bloom said, "but I can't find anything. There's just no trace of information."

Tecna frowned. Although a lot had happened in between, she could clearly remember what Faragonda had told them three weeks ago, upon their return to Alfea. She'd been worried, and had done a miserable job of concealing it.

"There is no mistake what Valtor is after," she had told them. "The same thing Darkar was after, in fact. He wants complete world domination. And he will not stop at any price."

"Who is he?" Stella wanted to know. "Who is Valtor?"

Faragonda let out a sigh.

"Valtor is a centuries-old villain from Whisperia," she said. "Many villains seem to hail from there, though from no fault of that poor realm, of course. I always say it is a shame how fairy-beings have treated warlocks all throughout the ages. Whisperia is the only non-fairy kingdom in the United Realms, which means that it is often on the defensive when it comes to decision-time."

"So is that why Valtor's doing this?" Layla wanted to know. "Does he hate all fairies for what they've done to his kind?"

"It's not as simple as that," Faragonda answered. "He is very dangerous, Layla, and very cunning. He is one of the most manipulative men in the dimension. And he is very powerful, too. More powerful than you should have to face at this pivotal stage in your lives, if you ask me, but fate is not always too kind."

"Hold on a minute." Bloom frowned. "It sounds like you're speaking from personal experience, Ms. Faragonda. It sounds like you… know him."

"Yeah," added Stella. "What's with you and this guy?"

Faragonda frowned. "What's important is that we make sure Magix doesn't suffer the same fate as many of the other realms. The UR is working on defense mechanisms for the realms that haven't fallen, but they underestimate him; he is very capable of getting past all of them. And at some point, it will be up to us to defend our school and our realm."

Tecna exchanged a glance with Flora. _She completely just sidestepped that question about Valtor… _What was Faragonda hiding? And why didn't she trust them?

"In fact, I _know _for a fact he'll attack here," Faragonda said. "These three schools are very ancient and powerful; if he is to succeed at any world-takeover quest, he will come here. So we must be on guard, girls. I have summoned you six here because you are the only ones who have faced him directly before, and two of you are the only girls in the senior class to so far have gained Enchantix. If anyone has the best chance of standing off against him, it is you. So go back to your classes and train especially hard, so you can defend our school!" Her eyes flashed. "And please, don't mention this to any of the other girls. I don't want a panic created throughout the castle."

And so there they were now, three weeks later, in Palladium's Advanced Battle class. The girls abruptly finished chatting as Palladium strode into the room, his long mane flowing past his back.

"Good morning, girls," he said. "Now, it is time for us to practice advanced convergence. I assume you all read the pages I marked for homework last night."

_No, I didn't_, thought Tecna. In fact, she hadn't read any pages in any textbook for the last three weeks; she'd been too busy with her coding. She yawned once, sighing.

"Good," said Palladium. "Now I want you girls to get into groups of three and practice with each other, and I'll walk around and give you pointers. Remember, this spell will only work with focused energy and a clear head"…

Tecna's head fell to the desk, and she suppressed a groan. _It's going to be another long day…_

* * *

Two unsuccessful classes later, Tecna was strolling down Magix City with Timmy. They'd managed to see a movie together, and were laughing as they walked down the street.

"That was hilarious," Timmy laughed. "The protagonist could barely even operate his phone, and he somehow managed to defeat a villain?"

"I know," Tecna laughed. "It was so illogical. The antagonist was much stronger than the protagonist; but with a few lucky moves, he managed to defeat the villain. It's so ridiculous – after all, there's no such thing as luck."

"You really think so?" Timmy said in surprise.

"Of _course_," Tecna responded. Nothing happened by _accident_. Imposter Avalon hadn't invaded Alfea by accident. They hadn't defeated Darkar by accident. Everything, right from her hover crash to now, had always been predestined, planned by someone in charge.

"Hmm." Timmy stared at the night sky, looking thoughtful.

"What?" Tecna asked in surprise. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm just wondering," he said, "whether you think we met each other by luck, or whether it was a conscious decision on our parts. What do you think?"

Tecna blinked in surprise. She had never thought of it that way before. _What does he mean by that? _She stared at him, completely taken aback.

"Well," she said, "You, Sky, Brandon, and Riven were all suitemates. So, it was logical that I got to know you."

"But how do you know?" Timmy pressed on. "How do you know we were meant to be?"

Tecna couldn't answer. _How did it happen? _How did something so illogical as their relationship spring out of the seeds of rationality? She frowned for a moment, thinking back to the first time they'd met, the exercise at the Black Mud Swamp…

The thirty-nine girls of the freshman class were on a field exercise for Palladium's class. As always, Tecna, Flora, Bloom, Musa, and Stella had partnered up, and they were walking through the Black Mud Swamp, trying to find the crystals.

Tecna didn't understand a thing they were trying to do. In the middle of the swamp, without any Web connection, she felt entirely deprived. Her scanners were still working, but in the middle of a wet, muddy patch of land, they were not very useful.

_What is this Voice of Nature? _How could Palladium tell them to follow this voice, akin to _instinct_? It was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. _Clearly he's never heard of a data-analysis class –_

Suddenly, her internal sensor pinged with alarm.

LARGE SHIP DETECTED OVERHEAD. SMOKE LEVEL HIGH.

Tecna snapped her eyes upward. A ship was barreling towards the ground, screeching with the sound of a wolf. The girls looked up in alarm.

"Let's go see what's going on!" Bloom shouted.

The girls raced towards the ship and peered anxiously through the windows. They gasped as they saw the boys coming out, unhurt except for their singed clothes.

"Are you all right?" Flora asked, worry in her eyes.

"_Obviously_," Riven snorted, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes.

Tecna frowned at him. _What a rude boy… _Already she didn't like his attitude.

"Where're you guys going?" Stella wanted to know.

Sky smiled, trying to look reassuring. "We're, um, on our first solo mission, ladies. We're very excited and" –

"The troll got away!"

Everyone turned towards Timmy, who was staring frantically at a gaping hole in the spacecraft. The girls gasped.

"You were transporting a _troll_?" Bloom gasped.

"How'd it get away?" Musa demanded.

Tecna gazed at Timmy, who looked frantic and confused. Their eyes met briefly for a moment. And in that moment, she connected with him, for she knew what it was like to be fearful of the consequences of her actions.

_Why am I feeling sorry for him? _This had nothing to do with her. _Why am I feeling sorry for a boy? Why am I even _thinking _about him? _Her cheeks warmed slightly at the mere thought, and she instantly felt ashamed. She crossed her arms and turned around, gazing at the ground.

"Listen," Riven declared, "why don't you little girls go away and leave this job to the Specialists?"

"Who _are _the Specialists?" Stella rolled her eyes.

"Aw, snap!" Musa teased as Stella batted her eyes at Riven.

Riven glared at her. "Listen, you airhead little princess" –

"What Riven's trying to say," Brandon cut in, "is that it might be best if you leave the troll to us."

"I can tell her to bug off myself!" Riven snapped.

Tecna frowned. "But what if the troll finds the other girls?" she said fearfully, thinking of how aggressive that troll probably was.

"Just let us deal with it ourselves and stay out of our way!" Riven snapped. "Come on, guys, let's go." He sauntered off.

Bloom frowned as the boys walked away. "You know, maybe we should go after them."

"You mean after that jerk line Riven gave us?" Stella demanded.

"Yeah," Flora said softly. "I say we get back to our assignment and let them deal with it."

"Flora's right, Bloom," Stella added. "If Riven wants to get eaten by a troll, I say 'bon appetit'."

Flora frowned. "That's not quite what I said but" –

Tecna wasn't paying attention. She frowned at the ship ahead, scanning it with her feed. The reading came to her almost instantly from her downloaded database.

BURNT CAVITY, the screen read back. CREATED BY MAGICAL BLAST. She stared, taken aback.

"Hang on a minute, girls," she said. "It doesn't look as if that crack was created naturally. Someone has to have shot it from the outside."

"_What_?" Musa was instantly on her feet.

"In that case, we'd better go investigate," Bloom declared.

Stella sighed, throwing up her hands. "Fine. But don't complain if I spend an hour in the bathtub tonight."

The girls continued to walk. Tecna frowned, gazing towards the girls. The footprints disappeared as they walked, and she gasped.

"What happened?" Stella demanded, staring at the ground, the lack of footprints on the mud.

"Someone has to have levitated the troll," Flora said. "There's no other way."

"Great." Stella crossed her arms. "Troll's unfindable. I say we go home."

"It's not." Flora smiled. "There's another way."

"What?" Bloom asked.

"The Voice of Nature!"

Tecna groaned. "Not that again!" she cried out. "It's impossible. It won't work."

"Why not?" Flora stared at her.

"This nature voice doesn't exist," Tecna answered. "If you can't even use magic to connect with the trees, how do you expect this to work? It's impossible!"

"Linpheans have been doing it for millennia," Flora answered. "We don't need one ounce of magical blood in our bodies. Tecna, all you need to do is trust yourself."

Tecna barked a laugh. "That makes no sense."

"It _does_," Flora insisted. "You have to listen to the world around you. Just try it."

Tecna sighed. _I'm not wasting my time arguing with her… _Flora closed her eyes, her feet grounded in the mud.

"I think I can sense something," she whispered, opening her eyes. "The trees seem to be bristling ever-so-slightly, and the wind is beckoning. Something is amiss in that thicket." She pointed.

"Sounds nice and poetic, but I'm not sure that's what it is," Musa said.

"Exactly," Tecna declared. "This is a waste of time."

"No, I think Flora's onto something," Bloom said. "I think it's bristling ever-so-slightly, too."

"You're catching on, too," Flora smiled. "Yes, it's definitely that way."

"This is completely illogical, Flora," Tecna said. "I don't think" –

"Listen," Stella snapped, "have you got any better ideas? 'Cause if you do, I'm all ears. _I_ didn't want to come to this stupid swamp in the first place, and I _certainly _don't want to be chasing some idiot guy with 'tude. But if you've got any better ideas, you'd better spill now, Tecna."

And Tecna had nothing. _Palladium didn't even give us a map… _She stared helplessly at Flora, who smiled and brushed her shoulder.

"Trust me," she said. "I know what we're doing."

She led the way. The girls followed, in order of most attentive to most skeptical: Bloom was in the front, tailed by Musa, and a yawning Stella. Tecna followed far in the rear, glaring at the ground.

_I don't understand_, she thought. _How is this happening? This is impossible! Nothing is going to work. This isn't –_

"Now that you mention," Musa said, "I sense something ominous here, too."

"Shh," Flora whispered. "I recognize these vines. They're Quietus Carnivorous; they hate noise."

"No way," Stella said, whistling. "Yoo-hoo! See, that didn't do anything" –

A vine snaked forward, grabbing her by the ankles. She screamed as she was pulled into the air, the girls staring at her. Flora darted forward and laid her hands on the vine.

"Calm down," she said soothingly. "We're not here to hurt you."

The vine uncoiled and moved away. Gasping, Stella got up, brushing the mud off of her clothes. Tecna stared at the vines, taken aback.

_Why didn't I download any information about plants? _Her scanner would've picked up on it immediately, and she wouldn't have to rely on information from someone who believed the Voice of Nature was her spiritual guide! She felt humiliated.

"I still don't see," she said, "that this is leading us the right way" –

A shout filled the air. Tecna jumped as she heard male voices, yelling in terror.

"Let's go!" Musa hissed.

Flora ran ahead, the girls running close behind. They gasped as they saw what was in front of them.

Timmy, Riven, Sky, and Brandon were hanging from the vines, gasping in pain. They were constricted terribly, their lungs in pain. And that wasn't all.

In front of them was a very blue, very gagged, sleeping troll.

"Oh no," Musa whispered.

As if sensing their presence, the troll woke up immediately. It leapt up, running towards the girls.

"Out of the way!" Bloom hissed.

The girls ran. The troll threw itself where they'd once stood, grunting the best it could through its gag.

"I'll calm the vines!" Flora gasped. She turned towards the vines and stroked them gently.

The vines recoiled. Tecna stared in disbelief as she saw Flora, once again, working her powers of nature on the plants. _Without a single spell… _She gasped.

The troll was gamboling straight towards her. She tried to move, but gasped as she found her feet were a foot-deep in very sticky mud. _I'm stuck! _Terrified, she frantically tried to lift her feet.

"No!"

Timmy jumped forward and shoved Tecna out of the way. They lay in a stunned heap together, mud splattered over.

"Thanks," Tecna whispered, feeling slightly ashamed that she'd stood there so stupidly, illogically. _I should've been of help to my friends! _She forced herself off the mud, looking with distaste at her messy clothes.

She gazed at Timmy, the mud on his cheeks, his glasses askew. For a moment, he looked brave, even _cute_. But she forced the thought out of her mind as soon as she thought it.

_Stop it_, she scolded herself. But she couldn't help it. Their eyes met again, and this time, she managed a small smile.

"Thanks a lot, girls," Riven grumbled. "Look what you made happen!"

"We _saved _you!" Stella snapped.

"Quiet down!" Flora whispered. "We don't want the vines to attack us!"

"That _thing _is attacking us!" Stella protested.

And it was. The troll was pulling itself out of the mud, although it hadn't caught them yet. The worst part was that the girls, with their black magic-restricting bands on, couldn't even defend themselves. Riven stepped forward.

"Listen," he snapped, "we'll get it ourselves."

"You can't defeat a _troll_!" Musa gasped. "You're only sophomores!"

"You don't need to," Timmy said suddenly. "I have a better idea."

Everyone looked at him. He grinned a toothy, nerdy smile, and again, Tecna felt her cheeks flame ever so slightly.

"Let's get the gag off!" he said.

"Why?" Riven snapped. "No one wants to hear that thing yell!"

"Exactly," Flora said. "And neither do the vines. I say it's worth a try!"

"Let's go!" Sky and Brandon said together. In a quick motion, they ran towards the troll, and yanked the gag off of its face.

The effect was instantaneous. The troll, sensing its freedom, leapt up and let out a horrendous yell.

Almost immediately, vines snaked around the creature, leaving it completely trapped and constricted. The troll let out a yell as it was wrapped, unable to fight back.

"Nice work!" Musa whisper-cheered.

Tecna stared at Flora. _I don't understand… _She stared down at the shorter girl.

"How'd you get it?" she whispered. "You didn't even use a map. And yet, you knew that danger was ahead, and that the troll was with it. How'd you find out?"

"I can't explain it," Flora said, scratching her forehead. "All I know is that my inner self was guiding me. What Palladium calls the Voice of Nature, I call intuition. It just seemed… natural."

"Hmm." Tecna frowned. "Intuition. I shall have to look that up at home."

And it seemed, even two years later, that Tecna hadn't made any strides in finding this thing called "intuition". It still seemed foreign to her, even after interacting with these amazing, confident girls. _How do I figure this out? _She frowned and looked up at Timmy, trying to find a suitable answer to his question.

"Well, I guess that has to do a lot with instinct and intuition," she said. "After all, luck is based off of the unknown, and so is intuition, too. Some people are just good with their instinctual drive." She gazed unhappily at the ground. "Not me, though."

"What?" Timmy stared at her. "That's not true, Tecna. You're _great _with instinct, in fact! Who was it that suspected Avalon when no one else would?"

"That was purely based off of logic," Tecna said, her cheeks flaming. "I wasn't a genius or anything."

"But that's its own type of intuition," Timmy protested. "Since you're so knowledgeable, you know when things are right and when they're wrong. You're great, Tecna! You just have to believe it. And I know you'll do great things" –

Her ears beeped. In alarm, Tecna stared as red letters flashed across her screen.

REMINDER TO ALL ALFEA STUDENTS, the letters read. MAGICAL PROTECTION BARRIER ACTIVATED BY TWENTY O'CLOCK.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, checking her internal clock. "It's nearly twenty o'clock. I have to go back to the dorm."

_And I need to finish coding my sets_, she realized. She'd been negligent in her work this past week, and really needed to make them up. _I should never have come out on this date. _But she hadn't regretted spending time with her boyfriend; it'd been too fun.

"Okay," Timmy said. "I'll give you a ride home."

"No," Tecna said, and Timmy stopped, surprised. "It'll be faster on my own. Besides, it's out of your way; I don't want you to go all the way to Alfea only to turn back to Red Fountain."

She kissed him on the cheek once and then turned away. For a moment, she thought she could detect a glimpse of sadness in his eyes, but that disappeared as he smiled. She turned around and headed to the outskirts of the city, following the path back to Alfea.

_I'd better get back to campus quickly_, she thought. Inside or not, Griselda was activating the magical barrier at 20:00 sharp, which meant she had ten minutes and fifty-eight seconds to get there. _I'll fly; it'll be quicker._

But just as she was about to transform, someone spoke.

"Well, well."

Tecna froze instantly. Her nerves felt as if they were made out of ice, and she found she could hardly breathe. _No, not him… _She swallowed.

"Mr. Vasiliev," she breathed.

"Correct." A man with black armor and menacing yellow eyes smirked at her, standing tall above her. He smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Tecna gasped. How had this man, her worst nightmare, followed her all the way to Magix? _He's supposed to be in Zenith, looking over the lab!_

"I wouldn't be worried about me," the man smiled. "I just saw you walking with that boy, out of a theater. Quite the rebel, aren't you?"

Tecna's mouth fell open. _Oh no oh no oh no oh no…_

"Don't worry," the man smiled. "I have zero interest in telling your family. It would, quite frankly, be a waste of my time. But I know you haven't been spending enough time on my lab work, Tecna. You were supposed to finish four hundred sets this week, but you have barely finished two hundred." His eyes flashed. "I came here to give you some coaxing so you remember what comes first."

"I'm sorry," Tecna gasped, her eyes wide. "I" –

"You will finish six hundred sets tonight," Vasiliev responded. "If you are not done with the sets by morning, I will contact your parents and inform them, and they will withdraw you from Alfea."

"No!" Tecna's legs buckled. "Please, don't have them pull me from Alfea" –

"Well, you have a choice," the man smirked. "Finish them tonight or face the consequences. That's our deal." He walked up to her and stroked her leg.

"My little cyborg," he whispered. "I created you, out of metal and steel. And forever, your heart and soul shall be made of metal and steel, too."

Tecna wanted to pull away but couldn't. It was simply impossible. She gasped once, the memories this man had inflicted on her flooding back like a river of stone.

It had been a chilly day in Unimensis, her birth month. Tecna had been riding a hover-taxi home when, suddenly, it'd crashed and she'd been thrown to the street. The driver had been killed, along with the other two passengers, but she'd survived. At a cost.

Back then, Zenithian technology hadn't been as sophisticated as it was now, and 4D-printed arms and legs were hard to come by. But then Mr. Vasiliev, a gifted surgeon and printer, had stepped in. This man had fashioned all of her limbs and neural networks for her. In return, he expected her to work in his laboratory for no pay.

Her parents instantly agreed. They said she needed the training from Mr. Vasiliev, and if she protested, they simply punished her and ordered her to return to work again the next day. She'd never been able to explain to them exactly why she was afraid of him, about the controls. And she knew she never would.

"I have the controls," Vasiliev smirked. "It's time you learned your duty, Tecna. Your parents sent you here to this school so you could make them rise in their social circle, which is great and all, but that doesn't mean you're absolved of your debt. You will do those six-hundred sets; is that clear?"

Tecna nodded shakily. Memories flashed through her mind, of when she'd fought Darcy and Stormy in Alfea's campus, and how they'd all faced Darkar down. When it came to enemies attacking her friends, she had no qualms taking them down.

But she couldn't stand up to this man.

"That's a good girl," Vasiliev smirked. "Now, go and do your work. I'll be off." With a wave of his hand, he disappeared.

Tecna looked at her watch and gasped. 20:01. The magical barrier would've been set off by now. She collapsed on the ground, dazed.

_I can't get back into Alfea_, she realized with dismay. _It's no use begging Griselda to open the barrier – she won't compromise the school's safety just for one girl. A girl who can't even keep herself together. _She buried her face into her hands.

_No use whining_, a voice in her head scolded her. _It's your fault you ended up in this mess in the first place. You were going out with a boy instead of focusing on your duties. In fact, you've been remiss in your duties this entire time. What a fool you've been._

She would no longer do that again. She would finish all six-hundred of those sets tonight. No, she would do twelve hundred. _I'm not letting my emotional weaknesses take over. _Clenching her fists, she opened her backpack and pulled out her portable laptop, which she thankfully always kept with her.

_It's time to do this. It's time to fulfill my duty to my family and Vasiliev. It's time to be who I'm supposed to be again._

* * *

Tecna opened her eyes. The sunlight was incredibly bright, and she winced as she started up at the sky. It was high noon. She stared at her laptop, which was right in front of her.

She didn't know when she'd crashed. All she knew was that she'd slept entirely too long; her head felt woozy, as she wasn't used to such sleep. She opened her laptop to check, and gasped in disappointment.

She'd only finished eight hundred and forty-eight sets. Enough to keep Vasiliev's threat at bay, but not enough to fulfill what she'd promised herself. _I didn't get to twelve hundred… _Disappointment rose up in her, and she bowed her head.

"Tecna!" a voice behind her called. "There you are!"

Tecna jumped as if she had been shocked. _Who's that? _She gave a start as she saw who it was.

The five other Winx girls were flying above her. They flew down to the ground, and gasped at Tecna's muddy clothes and her tired eyes. The pixies were hovering over them as well, staring at her. Flora walked up to her and held her by the shoulders.

"Tecna," she said, "you have black circles around your eyes! You haven't been sleeping well at all! What happened?"

Tecna couldn't trust herself to speak. _Of course there're black circles… _She hadn't drunk any potion to remove them. In fact, she hadn't eaten or drunk anything at all since Vasiliev had cornered her.

"Did someone ambush you?" Musa demanded. "Were you attacked?"

Tecna tried to smile. "No, no one attacked me," she said. "I just had some work to do, and I got… carried away. And then I crashed."

"What kind of work?" Digit wanted to know. "What was so important you couldn't come back to the dorm?"

Tecna frowned. "Well," she said, "um"…

"Tecna, you've been out for eighteen hours," Flora said. "At first Griselda thought you'd missed curfew, and that was all it was. But then you didn't come back in the morning, and everyone grew worried. Then Faragonda sent us and the pixies out to look for you. Tecna, what happened? Why were you out for so long?"

"We're the Winx," Bloom added. "We don't keep secrets from each other. Come on, Tecna, just tell us."

Tecna looked at her friends, her five trusted friends, and the pixies that'd helped them find her, and felt a rush of gratitude. And she wished, more than anything, that she could tell them. _But I can't. _To tell them would be to go against her family's creed, to spurn everything Vasiliev had done for her.

"Nothing," she said. "Nothing at all."

* * *

She was punished by being grounded for a week, unable to leave the castle. Faragonda and Griselda had been unable to get anything out of her, either, and she lay on her bed, tired yet fiercely working. The other girls had given up on trying to get an explanation out of her, and had left to go out with each other, in a state of confusion.

Tecna stared dully in the face of her laptop, opening up the sets. _I must get to work… _She slammed her fingers down on the keyboard, forcing herself to finish the remaining three-hundred-and-fifty-two sets she had to write.

_I need to absolve my mistakes. I need to work…_

* * *

**Yeah, things aren't looking good for Tecna. Now her friends know what's going on! What will she do next?**

**Next pair:**

**\- Flora finds surprising information about her friend's worldviews.**

**\- Flora and Mirta try to find information about Valtor.**

**\- Tecna recalls the day she met Flora.**

**\- The witches of Cloud Tower attack Alfea.**

**AOTD: ****I've started liking anime, and have watched it. ****_Aoi Hana _****is pretty good – for those of you who don't know, it's a ****_yuri _****(lesbian) anime about high-school girls in relationships. I'm fairly new to the genre, though. Mainly I read lesbian romance novels.**

**QOTD:****Do you prefer fanfics with canon characters, or with original ones?**


	12. Chapter 11: Shared Fate

**I hope you are all managing the epidemic. As of now, my school is closed for at least two weeks – schools all across the U.S. are starting to close now. Honestly, this feels like a dream.**

**Anyways, I hope you're all doing okay. Things have been rather odd lately, and I just hope it hasn't affected everyone too much. We will get through this. And so will Flora and Tecna.**

* * *

CHAPTER 11: SHARED FATE

It was a lazy day. The sun shined warmly on Flora as she lay on the ground, her eyes half-closed.

She lifted her head and looked over at Mirta, who was smiling. Their hands met. And then so did their lips, as the two of them lay entwined.

"This reminds me of the day I began my transformation," Mirta murmured as Flora stroked her hair. "Do you remember that?"

_How could I forget? _thought Flora. That day had been very significant for both of them. She could still remember that day in Quintmensis, a little over a year ago…

The two had been sitting together in the waiting-room of Ganga Hospital. It was two weeks after Bloom, Stella, and Layla had departed for their mission. Flora, sick of moping around with Musa and Tecna, and always worrying about them, had elected to join Mirta at the hospital instead.

Flora carefully surveyed Mirta, whose rosy cheeks showed excitement. However, her eyes betrayed worry, worry she was trying her hardest to hide.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked. "You don't have to go through this, you know. We'll love you for who you are, no matter what."

"I'm sure," Mirta answered. "Dr. Iyengar warned me about the risks, but she also said my body is strong and healthy. She thinks I'll be able to make it through fine."

Flora nodded, though doubt was starting to settle in her heart. Not because she thought Mirta shouldn't transform; she knew that her friend would be much happier once inside a body she'd be comfortable with. But she was worried about the adverse medical effects it would have on her. Not to mention, how would her family react once they found the news?

"What are you saying to your parents?" she asked.

"I stayed here throughout the summer with Griffin, so we could work out the medical insurance stuff," Mirta answered. "You wouldn't believe it - she's become somewhat of a mother to me. I know she looks gruff and rude in the beginning, but once you get to know her, she's a really kind person. I told my parents I was staying at Cloud Tower over the winter, which wasn't a lie. They didn't really care; in fact, I bet they were glad to be rid of me"... She brushed a tear off her cheek.

"Don't say that," Flora said softly. "They're your _parents_. I'm sure they love you."

"No, they don't," Mirta answered, crossing her arms.

Flora sighed. Although a part of her still couldn't believe that parents could be this cruel, she understood and respected Mirta's decision not to tell them. She was glad that Griffin was treating her so kindly, though. The only problem was that, now that Cloud Tower had started, Mirta would be staying at the hospital.

"I'll come visit you as much as I can," she promised.

"Mirta Nakamura," a nurse called. Flora and Mirta immediately rose, following the nurse as she led them to Dr. Iyengar's office. The Magixian woman sat at her desk, gazing up at Mirta.

"Good morning," she said as the two girls sat in front of her. "Before we proceed, I have to re-remind you of the risks."

Mirta swallowed. Under the table, Flora squeezed her hand.

"The transformation will take anywhere between six to eight months," Iyengar said. "During that time, your magical abilities will be very limited. Unlike witches, a fairy's ability to fly is directly linked to her magical ability, so you won't be able to fly at all. You will also notice your body starting to change – it will be very disorienting for you. And even once you transform, you won't have the full abilities of a fairy."

Flora stared at Iyengar. "She won't?"

Iyengar shook her head. "A magical creature's magical source is untouchable. I can direct her magical energy in a different way, but I can't change her abilities. She will have enough energy to achieve her Winx status, and maybe even Charmix, but never Enchantix. Her magical source isn't made for fairy-dust. She'll also only have the lifespan of a witch; while most fairies live up to three-hundred, she may well only live up to two-hundred."

_That isn't fair_, thought Flora. But she knew they had no choice. The doctor looked directly into Mirta's eyes.

"Of course, there's no telling the transformation will even succeed. At any time, your body could reject the potions and spells we're giving you, and then you would be stuck in a half-state between fairy and witch. As your body won't be able to survive like that, you'll die. I want you to understand that there's no guarantee of survival."

"I know," Mirta said, swallowing. "But I can't keep living like this. I'm going to do whatever it takes to become a fairy, or die trying."

"Very well, then." Iyengar nodded. "I just need you to sign here."

Flora watched Mirta's hands tremble as she signed the final form. The doctor motioned her hands, and a bed zoomed down from the wall.

"Lie on the bed," she ordered.

Mirta lay down. Flora sat directly across from her, watching her friend with worry. She gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry," she said. "You'll be fine."

The doctor closed her eyes. A ball of green light formed in her hands, and she focused on it. The sphere grew bigger and without warning, she thrust it into Mirta's heart.

The witch gasped as she was levitated into the air. Her hair flew up, only to fall back down. Her entire body seemed to shake, with surprise and shock. Then, without warning, she fell back to the bed.

"Mirta!" Flora was on her feet. "Are you all right?"

"She's fine," the doctor said, walking up to Mirta. "How do you feel?"

"I feel… great," Mirta said, and the doctor stared at her in surprise. "I feel a new energy running through me. It feels so right and – I think this was meant to be."

"You _do _look better," Flora whispered.

But Dr. Iyengar wasn't convinced. "I'm going to keep an eye on her. You can go now." She nodded at Flora, who headed out the door.

"I'll see you later," she whispered to Mirta, who smiled sleepily in assent.

And now they lay together, the breeze softly lifting past them. The sky was completely clear and gorgeously blue. _A perfect day… _She leaned over towards Mirta.

She felt her girlfriend move towards her, a gleam in her eyes. Flora put her arm around Mirta, gazing at her beautiful face. The two moved closer, their lips almost touching…

A rustle in the bushes. The two immediately jerked apart. Musa flew out of the bushes, her eyes wide.

"Flora, thank Symphonia you're here!" she cried. "We need you!"

"What is it?" Flora was already at her feet.

* * *

"Tecna's disappeared."

They'd found Tecna lying near Roccaluce Forest. She'd been half-asleep, confused and groggy as they woke her up. They'd tried to get answers out of her, but the technology fairy had refused to tell them what was going on.

"Something's been going on," said Bloom.

"Yeah," agreed Musa. "She's been totally out."

"She's been like this every day," Flora added. "She's been tired every day during Magiphilosophy, though she's done her best to hide it. And succeeded."

The Winx immediately turned around to stare at her.

"You didn't tell us that," Musa said.

"Yeah," agreed Stella. "You kept that from us."

Flora felt wounded as her friends stared at her accusingly, and swallowed.

"I didn't want to say anything," she admitted, "because I promised Tecna I wouldn't. I tried to get her to stop, but she just wouldn't. She won't listen to us, I'm sure. She won't listen to anyone."

"Well, we've got to stop her," Bloom declared. "Haven't you noticed she's been doing badly in all our classes? I mean, I thought it was stress, but she's been averaging C's on every test. And it's because of some Zenithian work!"

"We won't let her hurt herself," agreed Musa. "Friends don't let friends do that."

Flora frowned. _This doesn't sound like a good idea… _But she had no choice but to follow along and listen to their plans. After all, it was she who had supplied them with the information so pivotal.

But the Winx got no further than they had on the day they'd found her. Another week passed, and still, there was no sign that Tecna was getting any better. She occasionally came with them out for lunch, but she was appearing less and less frequently than before. In addition, her coursework was getting poorer and poorer. Avalon had even offered her extra help after school, which she'd of course declined.

Flora hated seeing her like this. But she also hated seeing the Winx gang up on her, like some sort of criminals. Not that there was anything criminal with what they were doing, of course – they genuinely believed they were helping. But what they'd done was nothing but painful.

Sextmensis 18 arrived, and Stella turned eighteen. The Winx celebrated her birthday by going out to the beach after class and eating _dolce luna_, a Solarian pastry made of milk chocolate and _fiores di luna_. Stella also insisted on doing individual makeovers that morning, which Tecna and Layla reluctantly acquiesced to. That night, they all settled down for a slumber party.

"Tecna, you've been kinda down lately," Bloom said.

"I have?" Tecna said, feigning surprise. Flora knew that this slumber party wasn't just about Stella's birthday; it was also about bringing Tecna closer to them. _Well, slumber parties never hurt anyone._

"Yeah," Stella said. "And since it's my birthday, I thought of something totally fun we could do together! Why don't we do a Teen Fairy Quiz?"

"Oh," said Tecna, trying to sound cheerful. "Good idea."

Flora frowned, remembering the last time they did one of those – in the Resort Realm. That same day, Stella got upset when Layla inadvertently reminded her of her parents' divorce, and Musa had stormed off after Jared accidentally reminded her of Riven, and his refusal to come to the Resort Realm with them. _That didn't end all that well… _She sighed.

"Alright." Bloom pulled one up on her phone. The girls eagerly crowded around her, and Flora pushed her worry to the back of her mind, trying to force herself to relax and have fun.

"Question number 1: Let's say you're in bad need of a wing-shave, but you procrastinated and forgot to go to the wing-waxer. And now you have a test in aeroflynamics. Would you a) rush to the wing-waxer, b) ask to take the test another day, or c) take the test and accept whatever grade you get?"

"Rush to the wing-waxer it is," Layla answered. "Thank Marinus I don't have to do _that _anymore!"

"Yeah, you with your super-stylish and non-waxable Enchantix wings," Musa said enviously. "I vote 'b'. I don't feel like bombing the test in front of everyone."

"Yeah, I vote 'b' too," Stella agreed. "DuFour's a total pushover."

"I'd just take the test," Flora said. "It's the grade I deserve; I'd be able to make it up with another test, anyways."

"What about you, Tecna?" Layla asked.

"Huh?" Tecna frowned. "Oh yeah. I'd go to the wing-waxer."

Flora frowned. Tecna didn't appear to really be paying attention, and by the looks of it, the other girls noticed too. _I just hope she isn't doing more calculations in her head… _Bloom frowned and went to the next page.

"Question number 2: There's this boy in your potions' class that you're totally crushing on, and you want to meet him. Do you a) send him an anonymous love letter, b) make a love-potion for him to like you, or c) go up to him and tell him how you feel?"

"Ooh, here's the juicy stuff," Stella grinned.

Flora didn't see how juicy it was. She could understand why her friends were so boy-crazy; she'd been crazy about girls once she hit puberty, too. Yet, conversations like these always made her feel like the outsider, and especially now that she had a girlfriend, it was even more awkward.

"The love potion's the way to go," Stella said. "Totally tempting."

"Love potions aren't _real_, Stell," Layla said, rolling her eyes. "Just tell him how you feel. It's not that hard."

"Ha!" Musa laughed. "Come and tell me _that _when you find a boyfriend, Layla. I vote 'b'. If he sings love-songs for me, that's an added bonus."

"What about you, Flora?" Bloom asked.

Flora frowned. _What did I do with Mirta? _She remembered how shy she'd been last year, terrified to tell her. "Probably 'a'."

"Tecna!" Stella called out. "Wake up, girl!"

"What?" asked Tecna, pulling herself up from the pillow. "Sorry. I'd probably do 'a', too."

"Okay." Bloom looked at her list. "Question number 3 – er, this is a weird one" –

"What is it?" Musa asked.

"If you were alone with a really pretty girl and, out of nowhere, she told you that she _like _liked you, would you a) start to sweat nervously, b) reciprocate her feelings, or c) run out the room?"

For a moment, there was silence. Flora stared around awkwardly, and the other girls looked startled.

Finally, Stella spoke. "Um… 'c' all the way? How awkward is that?"

"It's not that weird," Musa said. "There're gay men in my hometown. They're fairly chill. Although, in that situation… I'd definitely vote 'a'."

"My parents have some gay friends," Bloom asked. "But I'm with Musa on this. It'd be totally weird if another girl had the hots for me."

"It's just… wrong." Layla sat down, her arms crossed. "About a few centuries ago, there was a prince in the Androsian royal family who announced on interrealm television that he was gonna marry another man. Let's just say it didn't go well. Yeah… I don't get that. Why would anyone have feelings for someone of the same gender?"

"How weird would it be if someone was like that here at Alfea?" Stella asked.

Flora felt as if her heart had just stopped beating. _Oh no… _She lowered her head and stared at the ground.

Not for the first time, she was fiercely grateful that her friends didn't know she was with Mirta. _If they found out, that would be the end… _She couldn't let them know anything about their relationship.

"Um," she said, trying to make light of the situation, "I" –

"I can't believe it!" Bloom suddenly groaned. "Tecna's asleep again!"

And she was. Tecna was lying on the pillows, her mouth open and snores loud. Musa walked over to her.

"It's gonna take more than one slumber party for her to start opening up," she said. "She's totally zonked out."

* * *

Flora didn't tell anyone about her friends' feelings about gay people. She didn't even tell Mirta about what they'd said. Three more weeks passed, and they continued to spend time together, hanging out in each other's apartments and walking in the woods.

Anyways, Mirta already had plenty to be anxious about. Metamorphosis and Charms came easily to her, and as a former witch, her knowledge of Potions surpassed that of even the Winx girls. She was even okay with Professor Patel's History of Magic class, although she hated how warlocks were always spoken about in a negative manner. But her biggest problem was with Palladium's Spellbound class. As a new fairy, she was still struggling to understand her magical mechanisms, and was finding it very difficult to control her powers.

Tecna had been wrong; Eris wasn't getting tired of taunting Mirta. In fact, she was getting even worse. One day, when Flora and Mirta were walking together in Roccaluce Forest, Mirta suddenly tripped and fell on the ground.

"Mirta!" Flora was on her knees. "What's wrong?"

Mirta didn't answer. Flora helped her up and stared at the ground, seeing a sharp stone on the ground. _That wasn't there before… _She stared at it, confused and alarmed.

"Hello."

Flora spun around. Eris and her friends were standing behind them, sniggering, and Flora clenched her fists. _That's such a juvenile trick… _The Eraklyonese fairy stepped forward, smirking.

"Such a loser," she said. "Well, that's what happens when you decide to set foot on a sacred establishment meant solely for fairies."

"Leave me alone." Mirta tried to sound brave, but Flora knew how scared she was. She glared at Eris.

"We're tired of your attitude," she said. "What's Mirta ever done to _you_? Leave her alone!"

"I see you've been completely brainwashed by this hag." Eris rolled her eyes. "Well, you _are _a Linphean, after all – you people are the definition of stupid. No wonder Zenith's been beating you guys."

"Leave _her _alone!" Mirta stepped forward.

"You two are so predictable," Eris smirked. "Seriously? What, are you both homos together or something?"

Flora froze. _First the girls, now Eris… What if they figure it out? _She forced herself to look as shocked as possible. Fortunately, Eris answered her own question with a laugh.

"Of course you aren't. Even you wouldn't date a _girl_." She gagged. "That would be just _disgusting_." The girls behind her nodded. Instantly, Flora thought of Layla and Stella's reactions to the questionnaire, and winced.

Mirta stepped forward, her hands sparking with a spell. Flora put her hand on Mirta's shoulder.

"Mirta, don't!" she whispered. "We'll get in trouble" –

"Go ahead," Eris sneered. "I'm waiting, _hag_. Let's see if you can take _me _down!"

Mirta glared at Eris, nothing but pure fury in her eyes. The other girls behind Eris watched with interest as the former witch created a ball in her hands.

"Mirta, don't do it!" Flora whispered. "She's trying to bait you, don't you see? Don't try anything! She'll report you and" –

The spell escaped her girlfriend's hands. But instead of hitting Eris, it backfired on Mirta, hitting her in the chest. Flora screamed as an explosion filled the air.

"Mirta!" She knelt on the ground, staring in alarm at her girlfriend.

Mirta's hair was completely singed off. She was completely bald, nothing except for her head. Burn-marks appeared at the top of her forehead, and there were tears in her eyes.

Eris and her friends howled with laughter.

"Classic hag move," she crowed. "Trying to burn off my hair! You're not even good enough to be a hag, actually. I bet even your Cloud Tower friends don't want anything to do with you. You aren't good enough to be _anything_."

"That's enough!" Flora stood on her feet, glaring at Eris.

But Eris and her gang seemed to have had enough. "Later, hags and hag-traitors." Within a second, they'd vanished.

Flora held Mirta, who was sobbing. "Don't worry," she said soothingly. "I know how to reverse the spell." She closed her eyes.

Not for nothing was she grateful she'd taken the Magical Maladies class last semester. Under Professor Aditi's instruction, she'd learned how to reverse simple spell, potion, and charm damage. Mirta's hair grew back to normal, and the burn marks disappeared.

Mirta clung to Flora and wept, tears falling down her cheeks.

"She's right," she whispered. "I'm so bad at this. I'm not a witch, I'm not a fairy, I'm not _anyone_. I'll never learn Palladium's spells."

"You just need practice," Flora said soothingly. "Palladium understands it's difficult for you. You'll get it in time."

"But she's right," Mirta cried. "Lucy hasn't even bothered to contact me in ages. I think something's wrong."

"What?" Flora stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I haven't heard a thing from Cloud Tower in weeks," Mirta said, looking scared. "I think something's happened there."

"I don't think anything's happened," Flora tried to console her. "Ms. Faragonda hasn't warned us about anything."

"She's been keeping so secretive about Valtor," Mirta pointed out, "so why would she tell us anything? What if this is one of his ploys?"

"I" – Flora couldn't deny Faragonda was being very secretive, and quite frankly, she couldn't understand why.

"I want to go to the library and see if we can read up some information about this Valtor guy," said Mirta. "I mean, I've checked the Winx Wide Web, but there's not much known about him. It's like his entire existence has been kept a secret."

"That's true." Flora frowned. After all, plenty had been known about Darkar, the Shadow Phoenix, and they'd done their research on him. So why was it so hard to find information about Valtor?"

"I've checked the regular library, but I don't see any information about him there," Mirta continued on. "That made me realize, Flora, what's going on. I bet you anything Faragonda's hidden all the information about him in the Golden Gate."

"The Golden Gate?" Flora took in a breath. The Golden Gate was the restricted section of the library, and was guarded by spell and key. "Mirta, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying we break into there and open the gate."

Flora gasped at Mirta. "What? Mirta, we could get in serious trouble for doing that!"

"I know," said Mirta, and a flash came over her eyes. "But I want to know who we're up against. If Valtor _has _gone to Cloud Tower and done something, I need to know how horrible he is. I don't know why Faragonda can't just tell us what's going on; if we don't know anything about him, how are we supposed to fight him?" She clenched her fists. "I need to go, Flora, and I need you by my side."

Flora hesitated. She doubted the Golden Gate would even open for them, or that it was possible to force their way through. But she understood Mirta's frustration; for her, there was no holding back. And she would support her the whole way.

"All right." She took in a breath. "Let's do it."

* * *

The girls tiptoed their way out of their apartments and down the corridor, Chatta flying behind them. Flora had cast a silencing spell on their feet, but she didn't know long it would last. Since Mirta, as a night-fairy, had illusion-powers, she knew how to make them invisible so they wouldn't be caught.

"But it won't fool all the teachers," Flora pointed out. "Barbatea and Patel, sure. If Faragonda or Wizkiz come across us, we're dead."

"Or Avalon," Mirta pointed out.

Flora felt a shiver go down her back at that statement. She didn't know why Avalon still frightened her so much, or why she was so mistrustful of him. She bowed her head.

"All right," Chatta whispered, drawing to a halt. "I'll wait out here for you guys. If anyone comes by, I'll send you a signal!"

"Thanks, Chatta," Flora whispered to her pixie. "You've been a big help." She turned around to Mirta and took her hand. "Come on," she said.

The two made it to the secret corridor leading to the library, the one Bloom had discovered in the first week of sophomore year. They peered through the door, staring.

"Barbatea won't be around," Flora whispered. "She doesn't sleep near the library. She'll be in her room, like the other staff members." Each word sounded like a sharp noise in the air, and she winced at her own power.

"Look." Mirta had pointed to the Golden Gate, which stood sharply at them. "Maybe we should concentrate our energy to open it."

"Okay." Flora nodded. "I'll use my Charmix."

The girls transformed and flew towards the lock, frowning. Flora remembered Palladium's lock-opening incantation from Spellbound 101, and she focused her energy.

"_Reserare_!" she shouted, closing her eyes.

But the spell backfired. As soon as it hit the lock, it turned into an electric bolt, and zoomed back at them. Flora and Mirta both screamed, falling back.

Flora winced and stood up. A dust-cloud had settled over their heads, and she coughed madly. The cloud cleared to reveal Mirta lying motionless on the floor.

"Mirta!" she shouted, running to her. The girl was back in her civilian outfit, breathing but not altogether stable. "Are you all right?"

"She's fine," a voice behind her said. "I wouldn't say the same about you."

Flora gasped in alarm, turning around. A man was striding towards them, wearing white flannel nightclothes. _Avalon… _She drew back in fear as soon as he knelt down, shaking his head sadly.

"Library duty," he responded in answer to her expression. "My pager notified me as soon as you cast that spell." He nodded to the item around his neck. "You're not the first to try that, let me tell you that."

"Oh." Suddenly Flora felt foolish, and she stared at the ground.

"I know you are all worried about Valtor," Avalon continued, "but this is not the right way to go around it. You cannot sneak around at the night and try to look for answers. We're keeping this from you for your own safety."

_Really? _thought Flora. _Is it really safe for us to not know how to defend ourselves? _She stared at Avalon.

"But we need to know," she said desperately. "It's not just curiosity about Valtor, Professor! We think Cloud Tower's under attack."

"Is it?" asked Avalon, though his gaze reflected the slightest hint of alarm. Flora caught it and stared at him.

"So? You know about it! You know something's up!" She stared at him. "So why won't you just tell us?"

"Headmistress's orders," he answered curtly. "Now, I'm going to escort you both back to bed." He moved forward to pick up Mirta, but Flora stopped him.

"Look, Professor, all we want to do is defend our school," she said weakly. "We weren't trying to be a pain in the school system, but we need to know what's going on. Please, don't make us go back."

"I already told you," Avalon answered. "These aren't my rules."

"But don't you remember being trapped in Shadowhaunt?" Flora pressed on. "I don't mean to hurt you by bringing up those memories, Professor, but didn't you feel helpless? As if you couldn't do anything? Well, that's how Mirta and I feel right now. We need to do this, Professor. We need to save Alfea!"

Something in Avalon's gaze shifted. He stared at her, and she held his gaze firm. Green eyes met brown. He stared, and then finally nodded.

"Alright, I will tell you," he said. "I'll tell you, because I believe you are more mature than the other girls. But I don't want you telling anyone else. Not even Mirta."

"Okay," Flora nodded.

"Cloud Tower has been silent for over a week," Avalon said. "Headmistress Faragonda has tried contacting Headmistress Griffin, to no avail. We cannot say for sure whether it was Valtor, as he has left us no signs."

"But don't you think it was him?" Flora cried.

"Like I said, we cannot say for sure," said Avalon grimly. "That is the reason why she hasn't alerted the students – she doesn't want to cause a mass panic. But I will warn you that he is after us, and he's going to come to Alfea next. Not just because of our treasures, but because of someone far greater, someone he knows will be the end of him. Bloom."

"Bloom?" Flora gasped. The panic they'd all faced at the end of last year, after her disappearance, was still fresh in her mind. "I-is he going to capture her, like Darkar?"

"Certainly not." Avalon shook his head. "He doesn't want her even around. He wouldn't be able to stand seeing someone else who has his power."

"But" – Suddenly, it became clear to her. "Valtor! He's got the Dragon Fire!" She paced around. "No wonder Bloom said she sensed him!"

"Exactly." Avalon nodded. "But there is more to it than that, Flora. All fairies power-sources are at the essence of their spirits, the essence of their survival. And whatever puts Bloom's power out will put Valtor's out, too."

"You're saying"… Flora breathed.

"I'm saying," answered Avalon, "that whatever kills Valtor will kill Bloom as well. Their fates are inevitably tied. And in order for Valtor to be defeated, they may both have to die – together."


	13. Chapter 12: Alfea Under Siege

**By the way, I'm going to post a directory about the classes the girls took in the first semester, so that it doesn't get too confusing. That way you can always refer back to that, instead of the fifth chapter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 12: ALFEA UNDER SIEGE

"Tecna, are you okay?"

Tecna sipped her coffee absentmindedly, the heat of the day pouring down her cheeks. The outdoor seating-area of the café was fairly crowded, people chatting cheerfully with their boyfriends or girlfriends. She lifted her head slowly and gazed up at Timmy.

"Yes," she said tiredly. "I'm fine."

She'd lost track of how many people had asked her that question in the past week. She'd tried to blow people off, telling them she'd just missed curfew and fallen asleep in a patch of mud.

But something just wasn't the same anymore. After finding Tecna in the forest, the Winx now thought there was something wrong with her, and kept trying to figure it out. Stella kept pulling Tecna over to do a makeover, and Layla would stop at nothing to get her to learn how to dance. Activities they knew she hated. It was like they were determined to change her.

"No, you're not," Timmy said. "I know something's going on. Tec, the other girls told me your work still hasn't let up, and it's taking up so much of your time. Can't you speak to Vasiliev and get him to let you off?"

"No," Tecna answered. "I'm lucky in comparison to so many of my colleagues. My workload is actually a lot less."

"I don't believe that," Timmy answered. "He probably told you that just to make you feel bad. Besides, your colleagues probably aren't juggling school and a full-time job together." He looked at her in concern. "It's coding, right? Is this something I can help you" –

"No," said Tecna forcefully; she couldn't tell him how Vasiliev had ambushed her the other night. "It's top-secret; I don't even know what the project's about. I'm forbidden from showing anyone the code. If I do, I could be imprisoned without even a trial" –

"Don't worry," Timmy said, trying to look brave. "We'll sort this out together, Tecna. You'll be okay."

Tecna closed her eyes. _I can't start crying now… _She seldom cried for any reason, and wasn't about to start.

"In the meantime, is there anything I can do?" Timmy asked.

The pink-haired fairy paused. _I should tell him everything… _He was the sweetest boy she'd ever met. If she told him what Vasiliev had done, it would be a great weight off her shoulders.

_But I can't… _To do that would be a death sentence. And then she would lose her friends as well. She swallowed, not meeting his gaze.

"No," she said. "I have it under control."

* * *

"Good evening. This is the Magix Modern Matrix Foreign News Channel. We are here to report on a very deadly issue."

Tecna lifted her head. She and Flora were sitting in the common-section of their apartment, waiting for the news to come on. And now that it had, she pushed all other thoughts out of her life, watching intently as the newscaster spoke.

"With the rise of this mysterious villain called Valtor, there has been nothing but discord. He has taken the magical relics of Melody, Solaria, Andros, and Eraklyon, four prestigious realms of the UR. Every realm is on high-alert now, for there is no telling where he will strike next."

Tecna stared at the screen in silence. Next to her, Flora was planting vegetables in pots, trying to stay busy, though she saw the worried look in her friend's eyes.

"I don't understand," Tecna said, frowning at her laptop. "I've checked everywhere for information, and there's nothing about Valtor. Nobody knows who he is."

"But then how did he get locked in Omega?" Flora asked.

"I don't know," Tecna answered. It seemed highly troubling to her; after all, such a case should've gone public. "I've checked every court record I can, and nothing has come up!"

"Maybe he's using a different name and a disguise," Flora suggested.

"Perhaps. Or maybe"... Tecna gazed down at the screen. "Maybe Ms. Faragonda knows something that she's not telling us."

"Really?" Flora stared at Tecna. "Why do you think that?"

"Think about it, Flora." Tecna got up and stared out the window. "You said she lost her temper with Stella after curing her of her monster transformation. She's kept mum about everything, and seems to be doing everything she can not to discuss Valtor on campus. How could she possibly _not _know?"

"Well"... Flora looked down at the seeds she was planting. "I don't know, Tec. That sounds awfully far-fetched, especially considering there's no information about him online."

"There's nothing far-fetched about it!" Tecna felt a sense of irritation surge up in her. "It's perfectly logical, Flora. Why else would she" -

A flash across the screen startled her. Looking up, she saw the red letters signal BREAKING NEWS: ZENITH IMPOSES SEVERE SANCTIONS ON LINPHEA.

Tecna turned towards Flora, who was staring at the screen in shock. The newscaster, looking unusually grave, began to speak in a rapid pace.

"We received intel a few minutes ago that Zenith has placed sanctions on Linphea. In addition to the growing trade-war, Zenith is no longer selling any technological innovations to Linphea, including cell phones, computers, and other techno-gadgets."

Tecna gasped. _Linphea depends on Zenith for its market! _Although Linphea was the strongest agricultural realms in the UR, everyone depended on Zenith for a steady export of technology. _This is going to mess Linphea's economy - as well as ours! _She turned towards Flora, who had a shocked expression on her face.

"Oh no," she whispered. "What happened" -

"Queen Isabel of Linphea released a statement about this action," the newscaster continued on. "'Zenith's actions are reminiscent of old colonial times, and are unacceptable in a new world where we are moving past imperialism. Make no mistake, the Linphean people will fight back.'"

And Tecna couldn't blame her. In her past years at Alfea, she'd come to see the actions of her regime as horrendous. What was truly depressing was that the Zenithian government refused to do anything about its starving civilian population at home; instead, it was perpetually in a prove-nothing race against its former colony. _I used to fall for that propaganda, too… _She sighed, remembering her first day in Magix.

From the moment she'd stepped on Magixian soil, it was clear that this realm was a completely different world from Zenith. For starters, it was _hot_. For another, the sun was shining so brilliantly, a brightness that Tecna was completely unaccustomed to.

But most striking of all was how _friendly _the people were. There was so much chatter on the street, so much bustling and excitement. And it scared her, how foreign this world was.

In Zenith, nobody talked in the streets. There was too much fear cloaking the world, too much terror. And it just wasn't a good idea to speak unless absolutely necessary.

She had walked shakily into the road, staring around. Unfortunately, she'd downloaded no information about Magix, which made it harder to process what was going on. _If only I had my scanners functioning like they do at home… _She closed her eyes, trying to connect to the Web in Magix.

She gasped as someone knocked her over. Startled, Tecna fell to the ground, her wiring abuzz. A few seconds later, she heard a voice.

"Oh my goody goodness! I'm so sorry!"

Tecna squinted. A plant was coiling around her, and she stared blankly at it, its leaves turning up at her, its mouth (plants had a _mouth_?) shouting something at her in a different language. A light brown-skinned girl with honey-brown hair peered over her, her emerald green eyes clouded with worry.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to knock you over, but my plant doesn't like it when people knock over him, and I've been trying to keep him in order. So, I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to get everything in one piece" -

Tecna looked up at the girl. In addition to the plant, she was carrying a suitcase and a backpack. _Why is she doing that? _She stared blankly at her.

"I'm going to Alfea," the girl continued on, "so sorry if I'm a bit preoccupied."

"Er, so am I," Tecna said awkwardly.

"Really?" The girl looked surprised. "So can we go together?"

"Um"... Tecna wasn't sure about going anywhere with other people. After all, she was supposed to stick to herself. _But I don't know the way… _It might be safer to go with someone. "Okay."

"Great!" The girl grinned at her. "Let's go."

The girls walked together. Tecna followed along as Flora struggled with her bags, trying her best to levitate the suitcase but unsuccessful.

"So," she said, trying to lighten the mood. "Where are you from?"

"Zenith," Tecna said uncertainly.

"Really?" The girl looked shocked, and for a moment, she pulled ever-so-slightly away from Tecna. "You don't look that Zenithian, except for your hair! I thought you were Whisperian or something."

_That's completely ridiculous_, thought Tecna. Her mother did have some Whisperian blood from her side, but she didn't look any different from any other Zenithian. _Except for the cyborg part… _She felt a slight stab of pity overcome her.

"What are you?" she asked abruptly, her voice short and clipped.

"I'm" -

A sudden bird's screech filled the air. Tecna stopped short, and stared in front of her, horrified.

"What's going on?" she heard a man shout.

Tecna whirled around. A group of birds were attacking a storeowner, and he was jumping back, looking horrified. Other people were stopping in their tracks, staring at the man with mouths wide open. A few ran away.

"Oh no!" the other girl gasped, staring at the man.

Tecna tried to scan the birds, but in vain. _They're Magixian birds, and I don't have any intel on them… _She could only watch helplessly as the birds attacked the man. A few dove into his store.

"We have to do something!" the girl said desperately.

_We do? _thought Tecna, utterly taken aback. _No, we need to run away! _She'd come across occasions in Zenith where robots had malfunctioned, shooting electric rays at their owners and singeing their clothes. "Stop! We need to get out of here!"

But the other girl was already running towards the scene. "Stay away from him!" She focused her energy on the vines around the store.

_What's she doing? _The vines began to move, rising up towards the birds. Without growing in height, they wrapped themselves around them, catching them in their grip.

"What's she doing?" someone in the crowd shouted. "She's gonna get hurt!"

Suddenly, the birds broke out of the binds. They flew towards the girl, screeching and yelling.

_No! _Alarm shot through Tecna, and she lifted her hands. "Digital net!"

A net appeared in front of the girl. The birds collided into them, letting out a terrifying screech as they fell to the ground.

Tecna ran towards the girl, breathless. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," the girl panted. "Thanks for saving me." She looked up and towards the crowd.

Magix Police vehicles were appearing on the scene. Tecna shrank back, suddenly conscious of what she'd done. _Not police… no, no, no! Why did I do this? Why didn't I stay out of trouble? _She squeezed her eyes shut.

Two policemen arrived and followed the storeowner into the store. A policewoman arrived and knelt down on the ground, picking up the fallen birds.

"Spelled," she announced. "Someone spelled them to attack the store."

_Really? _Tecna stared at her, taken aback. The policewoman continued on.

"We'll take these birds to the Animal Conservatory to have them healed. They'll be fine," she added, to the other girl's worried look. "Now, what are your names?"

"Flora Fernández," the other girl said.

"And you?" The policewoman looked at Tecna.

Tecna shrank back in horror. _However am I going to explain this to my parents? _That she'd been so stupid, getting into trouble on the first day? _This is it. This is the end._

"Tecna," she finally managed, her words coming out tight.

"Zenithian, aren't you?" the woman asked, and for a moment, her eyes hardened. "Well, I can assure you we are not here to attack you, Tecna. The Magixian police have far more important matters on their mind than incarcerating civilians without due process."

Tecna stared at her, dumbfounded. _What does due process mean?_ She could hardly believe it. _I'm not in trouble?_

"We were just on our way to Alfea when this happened," Flora added.

"I daresay!" the woman said warmly. "Well, you're going to be wonderful fairies one day. That was excellent work, you too."

"They saved my store." The storeowner emerged from inside the store, looking amazed. "What's even more impressive is that a Linphean and a Zenithian worked together to make this possible."

_She's _Linphean_? _Tecna stared at Flora, stunned. _What?_

She'd never met a Linphean in her life. The only thing she knew about Linpheans was that they were dirty, uneducated, backwoods peasants. At least, that's what she'd been told her entire life. All throughout her life, she'd seen cartoons of naked Linpheans, painting them as foolish, low-down people.

But this girl wasn't dirty or uneducated. If anything, she was one of the brightest, kindest people she'd ever met. She'd saved the birds, without any regard to her own safety. And she'd been brave enough to step in the heat of things, when no one else in the crowd would.

"I know," the woman said, sounded impressed. "It's youth like these that make me hopeful for the future. Because of them, I see a bright dawn coming our way."

And now Tecna sat next to Flora as she planted seeds in her pot, not unlike the seeds of their relationship. She let out a sigh.

"When we first met," she admitted, "I thought you were a dirty, uneducated person. That's how the Zenithian media paints you guys – to us, all Linpheans are primitive." Flora stared at her in surprise.

"But I was so wrong," Tecna continued. "You're one of the bravest people I've ever known, Flora. I'm so glad I was proved wrong. And… I've come to realize that the Zenithian media is filled with lies." She hung her head.

There was a silence, and then Flora said, "Can I tell you something, Tecna?"

"Sure," Tecna said dismally.

"Linpheans have a media, too," Flora said. "We don't have mass propaganda like Zenith, but we have some pretty caustic stereotypes of Zenithians, too. In fact, when I first met you, I wanted to pull away. And if that bird attack hadn't have occurred, I would've left you and never spoken to you again. I thought all Zenithians were war-raging monsters who didn't care how many people they hurt."

"Really?" Tecna said in shock. "That's the last thing from our minds!"

"I know," Flora nodded. "The truth is, you guys need to survive as much as we do. Our governments cause problems, but when it comes down to the people, they truly aren't aggressive at all. All they want is to feed their families and live stable lives. But since our governments are far too radical"... She sighed.

"They blow everything out of proportion," Tecna finished. "The Zenithian government's actions are disgusting; it literally wants to take over Linphea. What are its policies – Linphea first, Zenithians never? That's how it's become." She let out a sigh.

Flora smiled. "Well, whatever's going on with our respective nations, I'm glad it hasn't come between us. It's great hanging out with you, Tecna." She smiled at the technology fairy.

And, like last time, Tecna found herself smiling back. _I'm glad she's my friend, too… _In that moment, an incredible wave of relief came over her, relief that Flora didn't hold her realm's actions against her. And that, no matter what happened out there in the world, their friendship would hold through the test of time.

* * *

Palladium's Magical Connections' class was starting to become Tecna's favorite now, and not because of the content. No, it was because she could close her eyes and take a semi-nap, completely tuning out his boring lecture. Not to mention, since none of the other Winx shared that class with her, she didn't have to deal with their concern. Of course, it wouldn't be helpful when they actually started doing spells, but when he was going over theory, it was very useful.

All throughout the class, she closed her eyes, completely ignoring everyone else as she relaxed her aching head. Her brain was still buzzing from all the wiring, but she ignored it, trying her best to get a few minutes of rest. _That's all I've been getting nowadays… _But there was no use complaining; Vasiliev's work didn't get finished on its own.

The bell rang. She looked around and saw the other girls picking up their things, heading to their dorms for a break before the next class. Tecna got up to follow them, but Palladium blocked her way.

"Not you," he said. "Stay back. I need to talk to you."

_Great_, thought Tecna as she sat down in her chair. Palladium sat down and placed two balls on his desk, one metal and one plastic.

"I want you to create a connector-spell," he said. "Come on, fuse the two balls together so that the plastic is forced inside the metal."

_That shouldn't be too hard_, thought Tecna, focusing her energy. She created an electrical-current in her hands, and shot it straight at the balls. Taken by the impact of the spell, she fell back, stunned at how much energy it took. Opening her eyes, she gazed at the desk.

Nothing. The plastic ball hadn't even moved a centimeter. He simply dusted himself and stared at Tecna, who was lying on the ground.

"We've practiced this spell for weeks now," he said, walking towards her. She took his hand and stood herself up, feeling dazed. "Tecna, you should be able to do this. You haven't been applying yourself at all with your spells."

"I'm sorry," she said, but Palladium ignored her. He reached into his desk and pulled something out.

"And these," he said, "are your quizzes from Advanced Battle. I've never seen you get such poor scores. You've always been good with spell theory, but you made basic mistakes now."

Tecna stared at the quiz. She'd gotten a 74% on one and a 52% on the other, which, in her books, was a fail. Red marks crossed out every mistake, and she winced at the sight.

"You've never gotten below an 80% on theory exams before." Palladium frowned at her. "Tecna, is there something going on in your personal life that we need to know about? Something that's preventing you from doing your work?"

"No," said Tecna instantly. "Absolutely nothing."

"You disappeared from campus a few weeks ago," Palladium responded, "for no apparent reason. You never do anything without a reason. That gives me good reason to believe something's going on." He sighed. "I'm going to give you extra coaching after class."

"But" – Tecna gasped.

"No buts," he said firmly. "I've spoken with Headmistress Faragonda, and she's agreed. You need to learn these spells, Tecna. How do you think you're going to learn to defend the Magical Dimension if you don't learn? How will you graduate?"

_Does he have to give me a lecture? _Tecna thought irritably. It seemed like everyone was ready to lecture her these days. Even Digit was starting to get annoyed.

"You told me I'd only be doing your homework for a few weeks at most," she had said. "It's been months, Tecna. It's nearly Octomensis, and you still haven't been doing homework _at all_. I thought your work was going to let up!"

"I thought so, too," Tecna said with gritted teeth. "I'm sorry, Digit. Maybe in another few weeks."

"You say that _every few weeks_," Digit answered, "and it hasn't worked. Seriously, Tecna! How do you expect things to change?"

"I'm sorry," Tecna sighed.

"You need to actually spend time doing your own homework," Digit said. "The reason why you can't even do these attack spells is because you don't _know _them! You don't know the theory, the practice, nothing! How do you expect to" –

"Please stop!" Tecna cried out. Her head was buzzing with her wiring, and she didn't know how much longer she could take this. "You don't know how hard this is for me! Please, Digit." Her tone became begging. "Please do this for me."

Digit gave in, her voice wavering.

"Fine," she said. "But don't think I'm happy about it." She sauntered off, leaving Tecna to hopelessly stare at her.

"You have to think about your future, Tecna," Palladium continued on, and Tecna snapped back to the present. "And not just _your_ future, for that matter. Great evil is coming, and we need every student on campus to be able to apply herself if there's any chance of defeating Valtor." He stared at her. "Do you understand?"

What else could she say? She nodded. Palladium sighed, and took a step back.

"Meet me in the Amphitheater," he said. "Every day except Sunday, from 17:00 to 18:00, we will train. You're not losing out on your magical education just because of something that's going on" –

BANG. A sudden thunderclap startled Tecna. She fell back, staring up through the window. What she saw made her shake with alarm.

The thunderclouds she saw were no ordinary thunderclouds. In fact, they were the exact same that had formed on Andros two months ago. She stared over at Palladium, whose eyes were narrowed.

"Something's happening," he said. "Something's going on" –

Suddenly, people began to appear at the top of the dome-shaped magical barrier. They were flying down towards the school in aerial formation, sending attack spells into the shield.

WITCHES, her scanner read back at her. AGES 15-19, FEMALE WARLOCKS. POSSIBLY SPELLED.

"It's the witches of Cloud Tower!" Tecna gasped. "They've come to take us down!"

"Run!" Palladium roared, forcing the windows open. He flew out; with hesitation, Tecna followed him. She ran into the quad and gasped at the sight above.

The witches were penetrating into the barrier.

"Students!" Faragonda shouted. "Get into formation! We need to defend our school if there's any hope of sending them back."

_But why are they here in the first place? _thought Tecna frantically. _Our schools are supposed to be working together! They have been ever since we defeated the Army of Decay –_

"Students of Alfea!" a voice shouted in the sky. Valtor flew down through the broken barrier, smirking deviously. "I am here for your spells and treasures. Surrender them, and I'll leave you alone. Refuse, and I'll blow you all to Oblivion."

"Never!" Bloom shouted. "We're not giving you our spells!"

_Bloom! _Tecna stared over, and saw Bloom in her Winx outfit. Next to her were Flora, Musa, Layla, Stella, and Mirta. Tecna felt a rush of gratitude as she ran towards them, joining the Winx Club. _Good thing I found them! _Valtor began to laugh.

"Princess of Domino," he jeered. "Want to face it off?"

"No!" Faragonda zoomed towards him, and Tecna stared at her. She was wearing her fairy outfit, a lavender-and-white robe with bejeweled purple-and-green wings. The headmistress glared at him, her eyes blazing. "You will not attack any one of my students. Your quarrel is with me, and me alone!"

_I knew it! _thought Tecna. _Something happened between the two of them, something horrible. But what? _Valtor let out a derisive laugh.

"So be it," he jeered. "Witches of Cloud Tower, attack!"

The witches zoomed into the quad, firing from above. Tecna gasped as a hex hit her, and she fell to the ground.

"Magic Winx!" she yelled, transforming into her Winx outfit. She soared into the sky, hexing a witch with a digital attack. As she hit and dueled, her senses became more and more alive, and she fought more fiercely than ever before.

_What was Palladium saying? I can fight as well as ever! Especially when my school is under attack! _Gritting her teeth, she hexed another witch.

The witches' eyes were completely glazed over, and their faces were blank. But they were smirking. Clearly, Valtor had taken over their bodies and forced them to attack.

Suddenly, the witch Tecna was dueling shifted her gaze. Tecna watched as she turned towards Mirta, her eyes blazing.

"Traitor!" she shouted. "Traitor! Traitor!"

The other witches began to chant as well. "Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!"

_Oh no… _thought Tecna, staring. Mirta began to tremble, looking horrified.

_How are the witches doing that? _thought Tecna. If they were under Valtor's spell, they should be oblivious to everything except what Valtor had done. Clearly, the spell wasn't strong enough for them to forget who Mirta was. Eris let out a laugh.

"That's what I've been saying all along," she said. "I bet you anything _she _engineered the attack!"

Tecna glared at Eris. _That's it, I'm _done _with that girl… _She lifted her hands, and sent a digital slap at Eris. The sophomore fairy squealed as she was blasted to the side.

"Seniors!" Wizkiz called to Tecna and her friends. "I want you over here!"

The Winx flew towards him, followed by Amaryl, Rose, Katy, and Priscilla. Wizkiz pointed to Layla and Stella.

"You are Enchantix fairies," he said, "so I need you to help me create a barrier. Lavigne, Oleana, and Sandra also received their Enchantixes, so go and get them, too. Only an Enchantix-level barrier will blast the witches out."

"You got it!" Layla and Stella flew off to go find their peers. Wizkiz turned to the rest of them.

"I need you eight to patrol the halls of Alfea," he said. "Some of the witches may have gone there. Since most of you are seniors, you all have a sensible command of your magic."

_Not me, apparently_, thought Tecna. Wizkiz pointed to the doors.

"Tecna, Musa, Flora, and Bloom, you take the east wing. Amaryl, Rose, Katy, and Priscilla, you take the west. Understood?"

"But" – Flora hesitated, and Tecna knew why she was worried. Clearly, she didn't want to leave Mirta alone.

"GO!" Wizkiz roared, and Flora shut up.

"Don't worry, Flora," said Priscilla, and Tecna marveled at how much these girls had changed. She remembered back in freshman year, when they'd argued during the Voice of Nature exercise, and sophomore year, when Amaryl had attacked Stella because of a petty grudge. Now they had only one mission at heart – to protect their school. And they weren't about to waste time arguing.

"Let's go!" Bloom led the girls into the building and through the hall.

* * *

Minutes passed. The girls flew into Wizkiz's classroom, doing a thorough search to make sure everything was secured. So far, it seemed as if it was. No one could've possibly slipped through the barrier.

"Wait a second, I sense somethin'," Musa said suddenly. "A sound wave." She closed her eyes.

"What is it, Musa?" Bloom had joined her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Someone's trying to tell me something," Musa said. "In that direction." She pointed to the door. "Let's go!"

The girls flew down the hall, down the steps and into the central hall. Musa closed her eyes for a moment, and then gasped.

"It's a sonic signal from Princess Galatea," she said. "The Trix have captured her and are making her show them the Golden Gate!"

"They have?" asked Tecna. She could've kicked herself. _Why didn't we go to the Golden Gate first, instead of wasting our time here? We should've kept the most important parts of the school under guard!_

"But why is Galatea here?" asked Flora. "Shouldn't she be fighting along with everyone else?"

"She thought she heard them sneak into the school, so she followed them," Musa said grimly. "And now she's trapped. We've got to go and save her!"

They flew down to the library, and Tecna felt her magisensors in her brain going haywire. The Golden Gate had been thrust open, and they zoomed towards it. She heard Stormy's furious snarl at Galatea.

"We warned you not to mess with us," she said, "and then you – AARGH!" A spell knocked her to the ground.

Galatea looked towards them, and there was obvious relief in her eyes. "Musa! Winx!"

"What happened to your wings?" Flora gasped. Tecna stared at her and realized that Galatea's wings were indeed missing, that they'd been cast from her Winx outfit. _What happened?_

"Save your questions for later," Bloom panted. "For now, we're taking these three down!" She glared at the Trix.

"Yeah," Musa added. "You picked on me two years ago, and I'm not letting you do this to Galatea! Leave her alone!" She shot a sonic boom at Darcy, who dodged just in time.

"I'm glad you're here," Icy smirked, "because it just wouldn't be right to come to Alfea and not spend some quality time with you losers." She shot an icy attack at Flora.

But Tecna darted in front of the way and created a digi-shield, reflecting her own attack on her. "You're not taking our scrolls!"

Stormy snarled. Creating a twister out of air particles, the books on the floor rose up into the funnel, turning and turning in the air. The girls gasped.

Flora zoomed up into the air and transformed into her Charmix. "Pollen dust!" she yelled, blowing it into the air. It enveloped the funnel, and in seconds, it vanished.

"Ice storm!" yelled Icy and Stormy, converging their powers together. Bloom darted in front of the way, creating a fire-shield that contained their magic. The Trix gasped in shock and outrage.

"Let's go!" Tecna whispered to Flora. Flora closed her eyes, and ivy vines appeared on the bookshelves. Icy and Darcy backed away in alarm.

Tecna lifted her hands in the air. "Winx Charmix!" she yelled, glaring at them. Using all the energy she had within her, she blasted an attack from her Charmix, slamming it straight into Icy and Darcy. They yelled in alarm as they hit the wall, vines grabbing them in the middle.

The Winx knelt on the floor, glaring at them. Icy and Darcy glared back. Then Stormy let out a laugh, one that made the hairs on Tecna's nonmetal arm stand.

"All right then." She created a deadly lightning-bolt, clearly a spell from Valtor's collection. "If we can't have your precious spellbooks, then neither will you!" She shot one into the bookshelf.

"No!" Bloom yelled, but her words were in vain. Fire enveloped the books, and the Trix laughed. Icy and Darcy broke free of the vines and joined their sister on the ground.

"Later, losers," Icy said. With a snap of her fingers, they vanished.

WARNING: FIRE AHEAD, Tecna's feed read back at her. HIGHLY VOLATILE.

_I have to get a reading on this_, thought Tecna. Closing her eyes, she focused her scanner on the fire.

"I'll try to smother the flames," Flora said desperately, sending pollen into the fire. But nothing happened. If anything, it gave the flames even more ammunition.

"How about a fire-on-fire attack?" Bloom sent a spark of her dragon into the fire, but that did nothing to stop it, either. The fire emitted venomous sparks at her, and she gasped, dodging to the side.

The results of the scan came back. Tecna scrolled through it as quickly as she could, gasping in alarm at what it said.

MAGICALLY-INDUCED FIRE, the reading responded. CAN ONLY BE PUT OUT WITH FAIRY-DUST.

"There's nothing we can do!" Tecna called to her friends. "We have to get one of the Enchantix fairies here to fix it!"

"But by then there'll be no library left!" Bloom stared at her.

"I know," Tecna answered, "but there's no other way. Let's run and tell Griselda!"

The four girls flew out of the Golden Gate, choking and gasping. Suddenly Musa halted and stared in alarm.

"Where's Galatea?" she gasped.

"She" – Tecna stared blindly around. _Where was she? What happened to her?_

From inside the gate she heard a girl's coughing. Musa gasped in shock and outrage.

"She's trapped in the fire!" she yelled. "I have to go save her!" She flew into the flames.

"Musa!" Bloom yelled, but Musa was deaf to her cry. Tecna watched in horror as she darted into the fire, and they could see her no more.

"Don't do it, Musa!" Flora asked desperately. "It's too dangerous! Come back!"

Then a ray of purple light shot through the air. Galatea was blasted through the fire, and landed at their feet. She stared up at them, her eyes wide.

"Musa?" Tecna stared at the fire. Musa had used her power to save Galatea, but she was still stuck in the flames. "Musa!"

Suddenly, a blinding white light filled the air, and everyone closed their eyes. When it had passed, Tecna looked over and gasped.

The fire had completely disappeared. The only thing remaining to show there was a fire at all was a few charred books. And in front of them stood Musa, smiling and carrying a pouch of fairy-dust.

"Musa!" gasped Bloom. "You got your Enchantix!"

"I sure did," grinned Musa, and Tecna stared at her. She was wearing a red top and skirt with yellow lace, and yellow barefoot sandals on her feet. A red barrette was in her hair and a yellow band was around her neck. She had yellow wings behind her back, with red and purple jewels hanging from above. She held her fairy-dust upwards and flew towards Galatea.

"I'll get your wings back," she said, and turned it downwards. Galatea let out a gasp of relief as her wings emerged again.

"Thank you!" she gasped, grabbing Musa in a hug.

The girls flew out to the quad, where they saw the fighting had ended. The girls had expelled the witches from campus and a new protective barrier had formed thanks to Palladium and the Enchantix fairies. Griselda came up to them.

"Thank heavens you're all right," she said. "You girls did remarkably well." A rare smile appeared on her face as she observed Musa. "And it appears that you received your Enchantix."

"Is everyone okay?" Flora asked.

"Everyone," Griselda said, "except"…

"Ms. Faragonda," the five girls said in unison. It was obvious something had happened to her; there was no other reason why Griselda would be so upset. The deputy headmistress swallowed and looked at them.

"Correct," she said. "She's disappeared; no one knows what's happened to her."

"Then we know what our next mission is," said Bloom, clenching her fists. "We're going to find Ms. Faragonda and bring her back home."

But Tecna didn't know whether they had a chance of getting Faragonda back home. Faragonda was powerful, but so was Valtor, and his strength far surpassed anyone else's. _What are we going to do? _She swallowed hard.

_And how are we going to find Ms. Faragonda?_

* * *

**Now that schools are closed, this will be the last pair of chapters I post on the same day. I've decided I will start posting the Flora chapters on Wednesdays, and the Tecna chapters on Saturdays/Sundays. Please make sure to look out for them!**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Flora, Layla, and Musa search for Faragonda.**

**\- Mirta continues to look for Lucy.**

**\- The girls will have to enter Cloud Tower in order to find out what happened.**

**AOTD: ****Both, but it depends. Ones with canon-characters can't be too OOC (with some exceptions, as with parodies and AUs). With original-characters, writers have a lot more freedom, but it still has to stay true to the universe. Both have to be well-written.**

**QOTD:****How are you all handling the coronavirus?**


	14. Chapter 13: The Search for Faragonda

**Wow, the situation out there is getting intense. As the Winx's situation gets more-and-more intense, so does ours. For those of us who live in the U.S., this is basically being treated like a wartime crisis. There's a curfew, gatherings are outlawed, restaurants are closed… Yeah, it's not looking good. But I have confidence we will get through this.**

* * *

CHAPTER 13: THE SEARCH FOR FARAGONDA

The next day Griselda summoned Flora, Layla, and Musa to her office.

"I want you three to go and search for Ms. Faragonda," she said. "You three are at the top of the senior class; you can afford to miss a few days of instruction. She was last seen in Gloomy Woods Forest, though I'm not sure she'll turn up there. Search everywhere you can: Roccaluce Forest, Magix City, anywhere you think she'll show up. We will not last long without our headmistress."

Flora nodded, determination in her eyes. _We won't let Valtor take our headmistress from us…_

"My objective is to keep the school running as smoothly as possible," Griselda said. "I'm not sending anyone else because I want classes to still continue. Ms. Faragonda wouldn't want your schooling to end just because she disappeared. Now, go on."

"Ms. Griselda?" Layla asked. "What do you think happened to her?"

Griselda let out a sigh.

"If she won, she would be back here with us," she said. "She wouldn't have left us."

"But then she could be" – Musa couldn't finish her sentence.

"That's what I need you girls to find out," Griselda said grimly. "Now go on. Alfea is counting on you!"

* * *

But two weeks later, they were still searching for Ms. Faragonda. Even with the help of all the pixies, they still couldn't find where she'd gone. The negative energy from Valtor's evil spells didn't help; it cloaked Gloomy Woods Forest in full. And with their lack of progress, Griselda was getting very anxious, fearful for Faragonda's survival.

Mirta had offered to help Flora find Faragonda, but Flora refused, telling her girlfriend that she was not up for it.

"Please stay and make sure you feel better," she said gently. "The energy you spent in the battle was too much. The other witches were ready to attack you."

"What are you saying?" Mirta glared at Flora. "That I can't handle myself?"

"No!" Flora held her hands in the air. "That's not what I said at all!"

"Don't you know how hard this is for me?" Mirta snarled. "Being ostracized by fairies and witches both? You have no idea how it felt when the witches and Eris ganged up against me! And now you're trying to stop me from proving myself!"

Flora winced, remembering how the witches had called Mirta out while attacking Alfea. _I'm sorry… _She put her arm around Mirta's shoulder.

"You'll get the chance to prove yourself, Mirta," she answered desperately. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Mirta shoved Flora's arm away, storming off. "Forget I said anything."

And now Flora sighed as she followed her friends towards the woods. She knew something had changed in Mirta, something too painful and powerful. _She's given up hope… _She'd tried to talk to Mirta about it, but the former witch had refused, and they'd remained in a stalemate all week.

"You know, I'm worried," Musa said, pulling Flora out of her thoughts. Flora gazed at her friend, gently tapping her on the shoulder.

"It's okay, Musa," she said. "We'll find Ms. Faragonda – I'm sure of it. She can't have left us."

"It's not even just that," Musa whispered. "Everything's going downhill. Five of the strongest realms in the UR have been attacked. Melody still hasn't recovered from the disaster – apparently, they still haven't been able to close the Omega Portal, and hundreds of convicts break into Melody every day. I don't even know if I'll be able to go home when the semester ends. The situation's really bad."

"Why can't they close the portal?" Layla asked.

"That's what everyone wants to know," Musa answered grimly. "To be honest, a lot of people didn't even know we _had_ a portal, so it was kinda a shock when criminals started raiding their backyards. They're affecting the rural areas really badly – even with the Melodian Army stationed there, it's just not helping. The Melodian borders are completely shut, because they don't want any criminals to escape into any other realms. Now everyone's furious and petitioning, rioting, everything, but the government has refused to release any information about the portals."

"How can they hide so much?" Flora gasped.

Musa shrugged. "Well, the common people know nothing about the portal. I heard that, upon its foundation, the monarchy made the sages sign a non-disclosure agreement. So there's that."

"Guys, Lockette can't sense Ms. Faragonda," Chatta urged, flying up to them. "You have to help us."

"I can't track Ms. Faragonda," gasped Lockette. "This energy… it's hurting too much. I just can't."

Flora gazed down at her pixie and Lockette. She knew that Chatta, friendly and encouraging though she was, had a tendency to be too impatient. _Poor Lockette… _She patted the pixie on the head.

"Don't worry, Lockette," she said. "I'm going to try to connect with the trees."

"You already tried that," Layla protested, "and it didn't work. Do you expect it to work this time?"

"We're in a different location," Flora answered, "and it's worth a shot. We don't have any other ideas."

She transformed. Using her Charmix, she flew into the air, closing her eyes. She connected with the wildlife around her.

All week, she'd been trying, but to no avail. The negative energy had clouded the forest completely, giving her no recourse. _But hopefully it's faded enough for me to focus… _She called out.

_Trees_, she prayed silently. _Please show me what happened to Ms. Faragonda. We need to know. _The wind whipped itself around her as she connected with the woods, their voices appearing in her head.

A vision appeared in front of her. She gasped as she saw the elderly headmistress taking on the younger Valtor, who'd attacked her as if she was nothing but an annoying pest. She had fought valiantly, but had been no match for him.

_What happened? _she thought in alarm. _She… she…_

_She's alive_, the trees told her. _We don't know where she went or what Valtor did with her. But we do know she is alive. Had her spirit departed, we would feel it. When the battle raged on, we had to look away, for fear of what Valtor would do. All we know is that they went to the west._

Flora opened her eyes. Tears of relief poured down her cheeks as she spoke to her friends.

"It finally worked," she said. "Ms. Faragonda's alive. But the trees were so scared of the battle, they had to look away."

"The _trees _were scared?" Musa gasped. "That's intense."

"She went that way." Flora pointed to the west, and Layla and Musa gasped.

"_That_ way is Cloud Tower," Layla said.

"Valtor." Musa clenched her fists. "He must've beaten her and taken her prisoner!"

"That's what we have to check," Flora answered. "We have no choice. We have to infiltrate Cloud Tower."

"So what do you want us to do?" Chatta asked, firing up.

"Stay here and search more," Layla told them. "We have to go."

The girls flew to the west, towards the darkening, stormy sky. They were going to save their headmistress, or die trying. Without her, all hope for the Magical Dimension would be lost.

* * *

Flora landed on the steps of Cloud Tower, staring. She gazed in front of her, right in front of the door.

Someone was cowering on the steps. The three girls frowned at each other, attack spells at the ready. They marched forward, determined to figure out what was going on. The girl on the steps snapped her eyes up, and Flora gasped at who it was.

It was Mirta.

"Don't diss us like that!" Musa said indignantly.

"Mirta!" Flora ran up to Mirta, grabbing her hands. _And to think we were about to attack her! _Mirta instantly snatched her hands away, and Flora stared at her, confused and hurt.

"What are you doing here, sweetie?" she asked.

"I was worried about Lucy," Mirta confessed. "I don't know what possessed her to attack us, Flora. She – she's my friend. I have to go and save her!"

"We'll do the saving," Flora said. "Mirta, you only just transformed to a fairy. It's too dangerous for you."

"I don't care!" Mirta cried. "Lucy is my friend, Flora. If you cared, you'd let me come!"

Flora stepped backwards, stung. Behind her, Musa and Layla were raising their eyebrows at each other. There was a silence.

"I'm sorry," Flora whispered. "I shouldn't have – yes, come with us. We'll be happy to have you."

Mirta said nothing, but followed them. They entered the castle, and gazed around uneasily.

"Something's not right," Layla said. "How is it this easy for us to enter the castle? Shouldn't there be a protection spell or something around campus? I mean, is this really a good idea?"

"Well, it doesn't seem as if we've got a choice," Musa said dryly. "We'll just have to keep our ears and eyes open."

"I'll lead you guys to the dorms," said Mirta, flying in front.

Flora followed her, a bad feeling settling in her gut. Layla was right; there was something sinister going on. She stared in alarm as Mirta opened the dorm room.

Girls were lying motionless in their beds. They seemed to be barely breathing, stiller than wood. But it was their eyes that scared Flora the most. They were wide open, inhabited by a white, ghostly light. No iris or pupil could be seen.

Layla flew over and gently tapped one on the shoulder.

"They're in a state of suspended animation," she said. "It seems that Valtor wants to regenerate their powers."

"Is he going to use them to attack us again?" Flora asked. Musa gritted her teeth.

"Well, I say we just unleash our Enchantix and fairy-dust them!"

"We can't!" Layla protested. "If we do that, Valtor will know we're here!"

"And we need to find Lucy," Mirta added. She shot Flora a pointed glance. "I'm not letting anything get in my way of finding her."

Flora frowned, staring down. Why was Mirta being so confrontational? She knew that it was mainly her stress talking, but even then, she'd never been like this before. _I don't understand what's going on. _Letting out a sigh, she followed Mirta out of the dorm room.

And gasped as soon as she saw what was ahead of her.

There were two monsters, approaching from either end of the hall. They were menacing, their eyes dangerous and terrible.

"We're trapped!" Musa yelled.

"Everyone, stay calm," Flora said frantically. She heard Mirta tense up next to her, and grabbed her hand.

But Mirta pulled it away. There was a fierce edge to her eyes, one that shocked Flora. Mirta held an attack-spell and aimed it at one of the monsters. "Witch hoax!" she yelled.

But that did absolutely nothing. If anything, it incensed the monster even more. It charged at the girls, howling.

"RUN!" Musa yelled. The four ran back into the dorm. The monster bounded at them, letting out growls of anger.

"We can't go back in here!" Mirta yelled. "The monster will attack the witches!"

"Then we'll just have to fight it!" Layla picked up a Morphix sphere in her hands and threw it at the monsters. It created a lasso, binding them together.

But the monsters easily broke through the lasso. Flora collected her energy and sent it into the doorway.

"Pollen shield!" The green shield formed around the entrance, preventing the monsters from forcing their way in. Flora grimaced at the energy it took to keep the shield up. Layla and Musa flew through it to combat the monsters.

"We'll take care of it," they said in unison, slamming their energy into the monsters. This was more effective than when Mirta did it, but not for long. A monster leapt at Layla, and she only narrowly dodged.

Flora gasped in horror as she saw what was on the monster's head.

It was a mark, the same one they'd seen on Sky's neck and in the sky at Alfea. The mark could only belong to one person: the person who'd defeated Faragonda.

"Valtor's mark!" Flora yelled. "Layla, Musa, those monsters are being controlled!"

Layla stared down in horror and saw that she was right. The monster took advantage of her stillness and grabbed her by the ankle.

"No!" Mirta yelled, and she broke through the shield. Flora watched in horror as her girlfriend sent an attack spell into the monster, setting Layla free. Layla was able to escape and flew up to safety, just as the monster grabbed Mirta.

"Mirta!" Flora cried. "I'm coming!"

"I can take care of myself!" Mirta snarled back at her. She let out a scream as the monster grabbed her, shaking her around.

"Flora, you keep guarding the witches," Layla shouted back at her. "Don't worry. Musa and I have a plan." They linked hands and summoned their fairy-dust from their necks, shouting, "Enchantix Convergence!"

Purple and pink dust from Musa and Layla's pouches, respectively, sparkled through the air. Mirta stopped struggling as the monster stopped moving, staring up at the sparks. There was a blinding flash which made Flora avert her eyes, as much as she didn't want to. When it was over, she stared in surprise.

The two monsters had turned into two teachers: Edlitrude and Zarathustra. Zarathustra, who'd been holding Mirta, immediately dropped her and stared in surprise.

"Mirta?" she gasped.

"Professor Zarathustra!" gasped Mirta. "We – what happened?"

"Valtor put spells on all of us," Edlitrude said grimly. "I cannot believe he was able to turn us into monsters." She sounded disgusted, and then, she sighed. "You girls should not have come."

"We needed to come!" gasped Musa. "We need to find out what happened to Ms. Faragonda!"

"Ms. Faragonda's missing?" gasped Zarathustra.

"She lost this major battle with Valtor," answered Layla. "And now we don't know what happened to her."

"Then what are you doing here?" demanded Edlitrude. "You won't find anything here! We'll take care of our students!" They flew in the opposite direction, away from the girls.

"We're _not _leaving here until we find Lucy," Mirta declared. "I don't care what they say!"

"Then let's go!" Layla flew forward.

The girls flew into another dorm, gasping. Suddenly, Mirta cried out as she saw what was ahead of her. "Oh no!"

Lucy was lying motionless on a bed, her eyes as void as the rest of the girls they'd seen. Unlike the others, however, she wasn't even breathing; Flora stared at her in horror. Mirta ran up to her, crying up as she shook her friend's shoulders.

"Lucy!" she cried out. "What did he do to you? Lucy, wake up!"

Suddenly, a menacing laugh trilled through the corridor. Flora looked up in horror as she saw the Trix streaming through the corridor, laughing. Mirta turned around, her eyes blazing.

"You three!" she yelled. "You hurt my friend!" She slammed an attack at Icy.

But Icy dodged it, laughing. Then she slammed Mirta back. Mirta screamed as she was hit into the ground, and fell, groaning.

"You fell for our trap," Darcy laughed. "And now, here you shall stay, forever locked with your friend. This is where it ends!"

"No!" Flora yelled, but it was too late. An ice-wall had appeared in the doorway, added with electric volts and shadowy plaque. The Trix dissolved into laughter and vanished, their cackle still echoing through the walls.

Layla stared at the ice-wall in distress. "We're trapped."

Suddenly, Mirta began to sob. She grabbed Flora by the waist, hugging her tightly. Flora held her as well, stroking her hair.

"I'm… sorry"… Mirta wept. "I didn't want to admit I was scared, but – I'm so scared, Flora! These last few weeks have just been… nightmarish… everyone angry with me, witches taunting me, like how they did _here_… And I feel so powerless that I can't do anything to save Lucy, and now we're stuck here… what are we going to" –

"It's okay to be scared," Flora whispered, quietly so that only she and Mirta could hear. "Admitting your fears is the first step to conquering them. Now that you've admitted it, everything will be okay."

Though she didn't know how okay things would be. They might be able to break through the barrier, but they had no idea whether Lucy would heal or not. And they still didn't know how to find Ms. Faragonda.

* * *

**Dang, that was tough. Next chapter:**

**\- Tecna, Bloom, and Stella go searching for the other Winx.**

**\- The three of them come across Griffin and find out what's happened to Cloud Tower.**

**\- Mirta reunites with Lucy.**

**AOTD: ****I'm handling the coronavirus fine. My school is sending us work through Google Classroom, which is actually great because the work takes far less time than if we were doing it at school. There's still quite a bit of fear, which has only been increasing. Don't worry, everyone – we'll all get through this.**


	15. Chapter 14: The Keepers' Vault

**Hello, everyone. I hope you're all doing okay, as always. In this chapter, we'll see what happens with the search for Faragonda, from Tecna's point-of-view.**

**Also, I posted a directory with all the classes the girls are taking; this way, you don't have to go back to that convoluted paragraph in chapter 5. You can refer to their classes much more easily this way.**

* * *

CHAPTER 14: THE KEEPERS' VAULT

"Tecna, we need to talk."

Tecna opened her eyes and stared vacantly from her bed. Bloom was staring at her, a worried expression on her face. Stella stood behind her, her arms crossed.

"What?" Tecna asked weakly, sitting up. Her head was spinning and her eyes were halfway shut. _What do they want? _Bloom sat down on her bed and sighed.

"We know something's up," she said. "You just haven't been yourself lately. At all. You've been leaving your food untouched, and been staying up till odd hours of the night. So tell us what's wrong."

"Nothing," Tecna insisted. "Nothing is wrong."

"Don't give us that line," Stella snorted. "Your hair's limp, your smile's thin, and your eyes are so dull. Hell-o! You're in need of a complete makeover, girl. And you don't even complain to me about how messy my room is! You _never _fail to complain about my lack of efficiency!"

"We care about you, Tecna," Bloom added, stepping in front of Stella. "We have to know."

Tecna's head was swarming. _Why did they have to pick now of all times to talk? _She was so exhausted – she'd only just finished her weekly assignment of two-thousand sets, and she was beyond exhausted. She was relieved Digit had gone out with the other pixies to look for Faragonda; otherwise, she'd never had heard the end of it. But it looked like she hadn't escaped at all.

"Tecna?" Bloom asked softly. "We're waiting. I'll have you know that Digit told us she's been doing all your homework for you."

"She did _what_?" Tecna asked, outraged. _She promised she wouldn't tell! Wait until she comes back home… _She clenched her fists.

"Don't blame her," Stella said instantly. "That's something _I'd _do, not _you_! Seriously, what's going on?"

Tecna fell back down on her bed and stared limply at Bloom and Stella.

"I'm tired," she said shortly. "We can talk about this in the morning."

"Hell no!" Stella exploded. "We're talking about this, and we're talking about this _now_! We're not leaving here until we find out what's going on!"

"Shut up, Stella," Tecna fired back. "You may be a princess, but that doesn't mean you can expect me to answer to all of your" –

A shrill ring drowned out her voice. Startled, Tecna looked towards her phone, whose screen was flashing red. _EMERGENCY DISTRESS CALL._

_What? _thought Tecna, staring. Whoever could be calling them? In confusion, she picked it up.

"Tecna," the voice on the other side called. "We need your help!"

"Flora?" breathed Tecna in confusion. "What's happening?"

"We're trapped in Cloud Tower," Flora cried. "The Trix ambushed us and locked us in this room, and we can't open it from the inside. We need you guys to help us out!"

"What?" gasped Stella in shock.

"Where are you?" Bloom demanded.

"In the north wing of the school." That was Musa's voice. "You've gotta hurry, Tec. We don't know what's going on!"

"Don't worry," Tecna said firmly. "We're coming." She switched the call off and glared at the other two girls. "Coming?"

Bloom and Stella looked at each other nervously. They nodded.

"All right," Bloom answered. "But we're continuing this conversation as soon as we get back. Don't think we've forgotten."

* * *

Tecna zoomed towards Cloud Tower, her triangular wings giving her maximum speed capacity as she barreled towards the castle. Stella was in the lead, and Bloom was behind her. They flew towards the entrance, landing at the steps of the castle.

"Let's go," Bloom said, pushing the door open. They walked into the hall.

As they walked, Tecna wished they'd had time to make a plan. After all, planning was her specialty. There had to be some smarter way of doing this than walking through Cloud Tower's front door.

But Bloom and Stella didn't seem to trust her very much now. In fact, none of the Winx did – except for Flora. The rest of them all were intent on getting into Tecna's business and nagging her all day long.

_I hate how they do this_, thought Tecna, clenching her fists. _They don't even know the circumstances, yet they try to act. If they don't know what's going on, they should just stay out of it. I don't poke into their lives! _She gritted her teeth. _I don't –_

An electric bolt hit her in the back, and she screamed, falling. ELECTRIC HEX, flashed across her screen. Bloom and Stella ran up to her.

"Are you okay?" Stella gasped.

"Fascinating," a voice behind her said. "I can feel the negativity in this room."

Grimacing, Tecna forced herself off the ground. _I feel so weak… _She gasped as she saw Valtor materialize in front of them, his eyes gleaming.

"The only negative energy here comes from _you_!" Bloom fired an attack spell at him.

But he simply caught it in his hands. Lifting his arms, he sent two more waves of electricity at them, cold and blue. Bloom and Stella screamed as they were also attacked.

"That," laughed Valtor, "is an anti-convergence spell. You won't be able to converge your powers anymore."

"We'll see about that!" snarled Stella. She and Bloom linked hands and focused their energy.

As soon as they focused their energy, they were hurled apart. They yelled in shock, and Valtor roared with laughter. When it was over, his grin was wide and menacing.

"Your negativity made the job so much easier, really," he said. "If you three weren't arguing with each other, it would be much harder for me to cast that spell. But since you're angry and frustrated, you're simply slim pickings."

_Don't talk like that… _But Tecna was growing weaker and weaker, and she could only stare up. Bloom flew in front of him, snarling, "What'd you do with Ms. Faragonda?"

"That old woman?" Valtor snorted. "I wouldn't worry about her. I'd worry about you." He blasted a hole through the ground. "Follow me!"

Tecna, Bloom, and Stella screamed as they were pulled through the crack in the floor. Valtor let out a laugh. They fell to the ground, beaten and wincing.

"Now it's time to finish you off," Valtor smiled. Monsters began to creep in through the walls, moving into the center of the room.

Tecna watched with horror as the monsters surrounded them on all sides.

"Goodbye," Valtor laughed as he flew away, and Tecna winced as she got up.

Bloom sat up and hit a monster with an attack. It only laughed and moved forward. Cackling, the other monsters closed in, baring their teeth.

"Eww!" Stella screamed. "We've gotta stop them!" She shot another attack at a monster.

But the impact of the spell made her fall. As soon as she fell, Bloom rushed to help her up. She gasped as Stella's body electrocuted her, and she was blasted back.

"What just happened?" Stella asked in confusion. "Did I – _shock_ you?"

"Was that Valtor's spell?" asked Tecna dazedly. She could barely understand what was going on at this point.

"So he didn't take our ability to converge – only to touch each other," Bloom realized.

"Okay, then whaddya say we slam these monsters down?" Stella asked, firing up. "We can do convergence without holding hands. It won't be as effective, but we'll do it!" She focused her energy hard.

"Solar beam!"

"Dragon fury!"

"Digital blast!" Tecna called, summoning her powers. _Please, please work… _Yellow light, red flames, and orange electricity joined together and rippled outwards at the monsters.

The monsters screamed as they were hit by the waves. And then they fell, stunned. Stella put her thumb up.

"Way to go!" she cheered.

"Okay, let's get out of here!" Bloom yelled. They zoomed down the corridor and into the hall.

* * *

Adrenaline coursed through Tecna again, and she followed her friends, her eyes determined. _We're not letting them take us down…_

They reached a hall. It was made of stone, the heart of Cloud Tower. Tecna stared at what was ahead of her, her eyes wide.

"Ms. Griffin?" she breathed.

The old professor was behind bars, grimacing. The lock on her door was electric, and she looked downcast. As soon as she saw the three girls, her eyes jolted up in surprise.

"Don't worry." Bloom landed in front of her cage. "We'll get you out of there!"

"It's too dangerous," Griffin answered, brushing her head. "There's a bounce-back spell on the lock."

"We can't just leave you," Stella pointed out. "Besides, you could help us look for Ms. Faragonda."

"What happened to her?" Griffin was immediately on her feet.

"She lost this major battle with Valtor," Bloom answered. "No one knows what happened to her. We're looking for her!"

Griffin sat back down, heavily. After a moment, she sighed. "I cannot help you. I will not be able to leave."

"We'll get you out!" Bloom insisted.

"Don't waste your time," Griffin said darkly. "Just look for Ms. Faragonda." She let out a sigh. "I am the first headmistress to fall. If Faragonda falls, it will be the end of us. She is our only hope!"

"All right," Bloom sighed. "How do we find her?"

"Find the Keepers of Cloud Tower," Griffin answered. "They've undoubtedly been put under Valtor's spell, so figure out how to break that first. They're very keen observers, and they know everything that's happened in this area. They should tell you where Ms. Faragonda's" –

A roar behind them told Tecna the monsters had woken up.

"Run!" shouted Stella, leaping into the air. They zoomed down the corridor, the monsters behind them. They let out a roar and tramped after them, hissing.

"Where are we going?" Tecna gasped, fighting for breath as she followed her friends.

"I – don't – know!" Stella gasped. "We need to get outta here!"

"Look!" said Bloom, pointing ahead. An ice-wall was where a door had once been, and Tecna stared at it in confusion. _Why do I feel that's not original? _Bloom halted and turned around in horror.

"We're trapped," she gasped.

"Not if we can break the ice wall," Tecna answered. "That's our only way out."

"But the monsters!" cried Stella, pointing at the creatures, who were bounding at them at an alarming rate.

"Listen," Tecna said grimly, "I'll break it down, you face the monsters. Understood?"

Bloom and Stella nodded. "Winx Charmix!" yelled Bloom. The two girls converged their powers, focusing on the monsters ahead of them.

Tecna frowned, transforming into her own Charmix. She scanned the ice-wall quickly, with the results coming back to her: MAGICALLY INDUCED ICE-WALL, ENFORCED BY WIND- AND DARK-ENERGY.

_Just as I suspected_, Tecna thought grimly. _The Trix have been here! Now how do I break it?_

She searched online. Almost instantly, the answer came back to her: CAN ONLY BE BROKEN BY STRONG ATTACK SPELLS.

_Let's hope I get it right. _Using all the power in her Charmix, she focused her energy on the wall. "Digital breakdown!" she yelled, and an electric, light-blue ray shot from her Charmix. The ice wall began to slowly crack, breaking down.

"Someone's there!" a voice shouted from behind the wall.

Tecna continued attacking, focusing all the energy she could muster. _Come on, come on… _She sent her strongest wave of attack into the ice.

The barrier broke to pieces.

"Tecna!" a voice shouted. Someone grabbed her tightly, hugging her. "You came! I'm so glad you came!"

"Flora," gasped Tecna. Flora's hug was making it difficult to breathe, and she drew back. Behind her were Mirta, Musa, Layla and… Lucy. "Why're you here?" she asked, staring at the witch-girl.

"I don't know," Lucy grimaced, scratching her hair. "Musa says she poured some of her fairy-dust over me, but I don't know what that means." She looked around the room and gasped. "What happened" –

"Valtor took over Cloud Tower," Mirta said, "and put you all under a spell. But you're safe now." She took her hand. "Come on, we'll take you to Alfea."

"I can't just leave," Lucy protested. "I need to be here with my fellow classmates. I need to stay and help them through this nightmare!"

"If you want to stay, stay, but we have to leave," Tecna said. "We shouldn't be here."

"But we haven't found Ms. Faragonda!" gasped Musa. "We can't just leave her! We have to keep searching!"

"Of course!" Tecna felt a surge of irritation rise within her. "Just not right _here_! Can you at least let me download a map of this place?" She pulled her tablet out.

She could feel the intensity of Flora, Mirta, Musa, Layla, and Lucy's confused stares at her irritability. Bloom and Stella were glaring at her. Ignoring them as best as she could, she found the map, finding their coordinates.

"We're pretty close to the Keepers' Vault, actually," she said. "In fact, we just need to go down that corridor and find them."

"The Keepers?" Layla asked.

"Griffin told us we need to find them, and they'll tell us where Faragonda is," Bloom answered. "Lead the way, Tecna." She spoke the last sentence warily, as if she somehow didn't trust her.

Gritting her teeth, Tecna led the way down the corridor and the other girls followed. They reached a spiral staircase, which they promptly flew down. A dusty, black vault awaited them, and Tecna couldn't see a thing. She frowned, focusing her scanner again.

DARKNESS HIGH, the scanner read back at her. OTHER PRESENCE DETECTED AHEAD. SPECIES: WHISPERIAN NORTHERN GRIFFIN. LIKELY SPELLED –

A screech appeared ahead of them. Something jumped out of the darkness, and Tecna gasped as it pounced suddenly on Bloom. A second one pounced on Mirta.

"Stop!" Flora shouted desperately.

"Now!" Layla, Stella, and Musa said together. They lifted their fairy-dust, circling around the two griffins.

The animals halted as the three of them converged their fairy-dust, working together to break the spell. A brilliant white light filled the air. Then the light receded, and Tecna stared at the creatures.

In the dim light, she could make out their features had softened. They looked more like griffins, and were clearly friendlier. The first one nodded to the three fairies.

"Thank you," he said. "You have freed us from this evil spell, and we are therefore under your debt. Ask us anything you wish."

Bloom stepped forward.

"Our headmistress, Ms. Faragonda, has disappeared," she said. "She was in a battle against Valtor, and then suddenly vanished. No one knows where she is or what happened to her. Could you please tell us: where did she go?"

The second griffin nodded. "Valtor and your headmistress had a long, arduous battle. She fought valiantly, but in the end, he was too young and strong for her. Not only did he capture her, but he also imprisoned her, in the base of an oak tree."

"She's stuck in a _tree_?" Stella gasped.

"Yes," the first griffin answered. "We can give you her coordinates."

Tecna typed the coordinates he gave in her tablet. It immediately popped up.

"Alright," she said. "I'll message Digit instantly and tell her to meet us there."

"Is there anything we can do to free Cloud Tower?" Lucy asked desperately.

"With your headmistress trapped in the heart of the tower, it is nearly impossible," the griffin said sadly. "All you can do is wait for the UR to help."

"We'd better go and find her quickly," Bloom said. "Thank you, griffins."

The seven girls sped out of the vault and out of Cloud Tower. Tecna followed in the rear, her mind a daze. _What happened to Ms. Faragonda…_

* * *

"I can't believe it," gasped Musa, tears in her eyes.

Tecna stared ahead of her. A baby, gnarled oak tree was in front of them, its roots twisted and grotesque. But that wasn't the most horrifying part. She stared at the trunk of the tree, completely shocked.

Etched into the trunk was Faragonda's face. She had a horrified look on her face, one of imminent doom. Seeing her, Tecna backed away, closing her eyes in shock.

She was glad Mirta and Lucy weren't here to see this. Mirta had gone back to Alfea with the Pixies, to tell Griselda what they'd found. Lucy had gone to the Magix Municipal Hall to give the police a statement; she would be helping the Magix authorities in their bid to free Cloud Tower. She'd thanked Mirta for coming for her, and the two had tearfully embraced.

"Hold on." Flora walked up to the tree and placed her palms on its bark. A green aura formed around her, and she focused all of her energy into the tree. Stepping back, she turned to face the other girls.

"So, what's inside?" Bloom asked anxiously.

Flora nodded. "It _is _her."

"Our fairy-dust should have her out in no time," Stella declared.

"It's not quite so simple, Stella." Flora frowned. "The oak tree has grown _around _Ms. Faragonda's life essence. She _is _the tree."

"So… we can't hurt it without hurting her?" Layla asked.

Tecna's mind was spinning. _This is absolutely bizarre… _She'd never heard of anything like this. _And completely illogical._

She tried to scan the tree. Nothing came up. And then she tried looking up a spell, _any _spell, that could've caused this. "There's no information like this on the Web!"

"Well, we've gotta do something!" Bloom declared, striding up to the tree. "We can't let Ms. F stay like this! Especially after everything she's done for us!"

Musa walked up to the tree, her voice barely an echo.

"Ms. Faragonda," she said, "I don't know if you can hear me, but don't worry. We're gonna save you."

_I don't know how_, thought Tecna. _Especially when there's nothing in our database about this. _She stared up at the tree.

As she stared, she wondered if Faragonda could see her right now from her prison. A severely ill girl, merely a shell of her former self.

* * *

**Next chapter more stuff will happen. This was kind of a continuation of last chapter, which I used mainly to fill up some gaps. The chapters will definitely get more intense from here on.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Flora, Stella, and Musa head to Linphea.**

**\- The girls head to the Black Willow, where they encounter the Trix.**

**\- Miele makes her debut as a warrior-fairy.**

**I also wanted to add that I finished posting my other story, ****_A Tale of Ice and Sorrow_**** (ATIS), this Thursday. I encourage you all to read it! Although it doesn't follow canon Winx characters, it is set in the Winx world, after Season 5. I'd really like to hear your feedback. Plus, if you're bored during the quarantine, it's something to take your mind off of all the craziness around us. :)**

**That's all for now! See you on Wednesday!**


	16. Chapter 15: Flora's Trial

**Hello, everyone! How are you all doing today? Where I live, it's raining, but it's still a pretty good day nonetheless. Today's update is going to be about Flora and their journey to Linphea.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"I'd sooner trust a Venus fly-trap than the UR. They might as well make a united government and sell all our civil liberties." She shook her head. "I don't know what they teach in that school over there."_**

**_"We learn so many things at Alfea," Flora protested. "We learn how to defend ourselves, form great friendships, save the world" –_**

**_"Ha!" Bisabuela snorted. "All warriors ever do is cause misery! Now, Linphean warriors are honorable; they know not to conquer and maraud. But you are born into a good priestly family, girl, and you should not be a Linphean warrior, much less a UR one!"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Is everyone okay?" Flora asked._**

**_"Everyone," Griselda said, "except"…_**

**_"Ms. Faragonda," the five girls said in unison. The deputy headmistress swallowed._**

**_"Correct," she said. "No one knows what's happened to her."_**

**_"Then we know what our next mission is," said Bloom. "We're going to find Ms. Faragonda and bring her back home."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora walked up to the tree and placed her palms on its bark. Stepping back, she turned to face the other girls. "It _****is ****_her."_**

**_"Our fairy-dust should have her out in no time," Stella declared._**

**_"It's not quite so simple, Stella." Flora frowned. "The oak tree has grown around Ms. Faragonda's life essence. She _****is ****_the tree."_**

**_"So… we can't hurt it without hurting her?" Layla asked._**

**_"Well, we've gotta do something!" Bloom declared. "We can't let Ms. F stay like this! Especially after everything she's done for us!"_**

**_Musa walked up to the tree, her voice barely an echo._**

**_"Ms. Faragonda," she said, "I don't know if you can hear me, but don't worry. We're gonna save you. I promise."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 15: FLORA'S TRIAL

"Good," Griselda nodded. "We have our answer."

Layla, Musa, and Flora were in Griselda's office again. An hour had passed since they'd found Faragonda, but once they'd found the information, they wasted no time in going to see the deputy headmistress. Griselda turned towards the window, frowning. "You figured it out?"

"Yes." Flora nodded. "I called my parents and told them the situation. They told me to come home to Linphea."

"And then what?" asked Musa.

"We need to see the Sage of Tierra," Flora answered. "She's a famous priestess in the City of Trees, the capital city of Linphea. But we have to hurry. I spoke with my mother, and she said now that a half-moon has passed, this spell will become permanent once the sun sets in Magix tonight."

"Then we'd better hurry," Musa declared.

"Actually" – Layla frowned. "I won't be able to come."

"What?" gasped Musa. "You can't ditch Ms. Faragonda like that! She needs us!"

"I'm sorry," Layla winced. "I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for something important. My parents are coming to Magix City today. They need to speak to me about something urgent."

_That can't be good. _Flora stared at Layla. "Is Andros in trouble?"

"I don't know," Layla answered. "But I have to go."

"All right," Griselda sighed. "I shall send Stella of Solaria with you, then. Miss Flora, I'm putting you in charge of leading this quest."

"Okay," Flora nodded. "Don't worry. We should reach Linphea by dawn and be able to return tomorrow at nightfall. You should probably know something, though…"

"What is it?" asked Griselda.

"The Sage of Tierra's my bisabuela."

* * *

Flora's great-grandmother had never been kind about the UR. She hated its very existence, the fact that it had to be there to dominate relations between the realms. A woman well over four-hundred years old, she had a very conservative view on realmwide issues.

And yet, her wisdom was known throughout all the realms. Flora hoped her bisabuela would see reason and eventually, acquiesce and help Faragonda.

The two-hour flight to Linphea was quiet. Griselda had arranged transport from Red Fountain, and Ben, a Red Fountain junior, was flying them. Flora, worn out from the battle, had collapsed on her chair and fallen asleep. Stella and Musa were Enchantix fairies, and therefore didn't need a nap. She woke up with a start as the ship touched down towards Linphea, sensing the atmospheric changes at once.

"We're here," Flora said at last as they entered the realm. It was a beautiful, fertile land, but even its beauty could not excite her spirits. "The City of Trees is this way."

"Are your parents meeting us?" Musa asked as they climbed off.

"My parents weren't able to make it," Flora answered, "but my little sister, Miele, is coming. She's going to take us to the City of" –

"Flora!" a voice called. A ten-year-old girl wearing a short sprigged dress and flowers in her hair ran towards Flora, her eyes bright.

"Miele!" Flora hugged her sister, picking her up the ground. "It's good to see you!"

"Where's she?" Miele asked, looking at Flora in confusion. "Where's your girlf" –

"Mirta's not here with us," Flora interrupted quickly. "She's back at Alfea. Two of my friends are here instead to take us to Bisabuela." She nodded at the others.

"I'm Musa Xi," said Musa.

"And I'm Stella di Solaria," Stella added proudly.

"No way!" gasped Miele. "You're a princess?"

"Totally," Stella smiled. "And a fashionable one, too. I can give you tips in style, if you ever want a boyf" –

"Anyways," Flora said quickly, cutting Stella off, "Miele, could you show us to the Enchanted Stairway?"

Miele beamed, happy to be of service. "It's right this way!" She ran towards the copse.

The other girls followed her, and gasped. Flora grinned as she stared up at the capital city of her realm, at its beauty and natural splendor.

The city was made of the tallest trees Flora had ever seen. Birds chirped and sung in harmony, and flowers and mushrooms grew just as tall as the trees. The hills were gorgeous, green and fertile.

"We've got to get up there," Flora said, pointing up to the top of the trees.

"No problem," Stella smiled. "We'll just fly right up" –

"That doesn't work," Miele answered. "The Enchanted Stairway is run by strong winds. We won't be able to reach the top that way."

"Then how do we get up?" asked Musa.

"We take the express," Miele grinned, pointing to a large leaf on the ground. Wind swirled around and picked up the leaf, spiraling it upwards.

"Hop on!" said Flora.

The girls dove onto the leaf as it flew into the air, sailing through the trees. Miele let out a whoop. Flora grinned as she stared around.

_It's so nice to be home again_, she thought contentedly, staring around her. _It's so nice –_

A screech above her startled Flora. Confused, she stared above as she saw black_ pájaros dulces_, flying towards the leaf. Their normally calm eyes were menacing, and she gasped as one slammed at their ship.

The girls screamed as they were attacked. _These birds aren't the slightest bit aggressive! _She let out a gasp as it barreled towards Stella, its eyes murderous and cold.

"HEEELP!" Stella screamed as she was tossed towards the edge, grasping tightly onto the raft for dear life. "I really hate heigh" –

Her hands gave way; to Flora's horror, she was battered off the raft by the wind. But instead of falling to the ground, her wings took hold, catching the air and soaring into the sky. Gasping in awe, she turned around at her friends and yelled, "My wings are stronger! They can handle the wind!"

"I'm coming, too," Musa grinned. "Let's finish these birds off!"

"Hang on," Flora protested, "we don't want to hurt them! They would normally never attack us like that. Something must be up!"

Musa and Stella exchanged glances. "Do ya think Valtor's around?" Musa asked.

"I don't know," Stella answered, "but" –

"HEEEEEEE!" Miele screamed in fright. Flora turned around and saw, with horror, that a bird had picked her little sister off the leaf. Miele screamed, trying to break free, but the bird held tight.

"I'm coming!" Flora shot a nature storm at the bird, who squawked. To her even greater horror, the bird flew away, dropping Miele out of its clutches.

"Sun catcher!" Stella sent a ray of light to the screaming girl, who stopped struggling as her gravity was temporarily suspended. With all of her energy, Stella pulled Miele up to the leaf, where she at last collapsed in Flora's arms.

"Okay, it's time to take these down!" Musa said. "Attacking only makes them angrier, Stell. I vote we dust 'em!"

"How do we know these overgrown birds are really spelled?" Stella asked, looking at them in distaste. "Maybe that won't work."

"And maybe it will," Flora answered. "Try it, both of you!"

Stella and Musa linked hands, summoning their Enchantix pouches. Yellow dust merged with purple, and they both closed their eyes.

The dust scattered all around the birds, who stopped and howled in surprise. Flora watched as a white light enveloped the birds, so bright she had to look away. When it was over, the birds squawked timidly and flew away.

"Woo-hoo!" Stella cheered. "We did it!"

"And there's the City of Trees!" Miele added, pointing to the treetops ahead of them. Flora smiled as she saw the homes built into trunks of trees, the fairies dancing on the treetops and flowers and toadstools. _It's so beautiful there…_ The leaf landed on a mushroom, and Flora stepped off.

"Come on," she said. "It's time to see my bisabuela."

* * *

The leaves jingled as they walked from branch-to-branch, and Flora marveled at how easy these branches were to walk on. They were wide, almost the size of a paved road, but were intertwined, making it much more fun. She had heard of the City of Trees, but this was her first time coming here, and it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.

The homes were built into trees of trunks. Linphean people were very friendly, and they waved to them from their windows as they passed by. At the top of the elongated flowers and mushrooms, fairy children were dancing, playing together in the beautiful paradise they all shared. The blue sky was bright and cheerful as they walked towards the Tree of the Elder.

"Those flowers are beautiful!" Musa gasped, pointing at a bunch.

"Aren't they?" Flora grinned. The flowers were _flores del iris_, a rare type of flower that changed color from day to night.

They walked towards the _árbol sabio_, the tallest tree in the city. As soon as they entered through the hollow, the atmosphere changed. Flora gazed around the interior of the tree, letting out a gasp of awe.

Beautiful designs were carved into the sides of the trees. She could make out, through the dim light afforded by the sun, that they were very ancient. _This is so beautiful… _She stared forward, noting the curved wood of the platform in front of them, where the Sage was supposed to sit. _This is so beautiful – but where is Bisabuela?_

"Alfea girls," a voice above them said. "Including my bad girl Flora. Come here."

Flora stared up at Iztel Fernández, who was walking into the hollow from a back entrance. She was wearing a brown robe that reached all the way to her toes. Her white hair flowed down to her waist, and she stared grimly at them. "UR girls setting foot in this sacred place."

"Bisabuela," Flora protested. "We're not UR girls. We have to save the headmistress of Alfea. Please, help us."

"And why should I?" Priestess Iztel asked irritably. "Ruined my realm, that's what they all did. This UR reduced Linphea to the status of rubble. Big, stinkin' corporate governmen' came and ruined us, that's what it did. Under the false name of 'peace', created a higher order where Linphea has ta bow down to the will of Magix and Zenith, Domino too before it was destroyed. That Malvilla woman, she ain't known the first thing 'bout natural beauty, imprisoned all the poor animals from all the realms."

Flora sighed. Her bisabuela was centuries older than her, so of course she had been alive when Malvilla was headmistress of Alfea. If her bisabuela was to be believed, she was a crooked, cheating marauder with no respect for anything other than the status of her school.

"And that Faragonda woman," Iztel continued, "she seems to be goin' the same way" –

"Hey!" Stella fired up. "Don't diss our headmistress!"

Iztel's eyes snapped up. Flora stared at her friend in disbelief, stunned. _Oh Linphèana..._ She shot her friend a desperate look.

But Stella wasn't by any means finished. "If you knew her, you'd know what a totally amazing woman she is. She took down that jerk Valtor right in front of all of us, and lost, but she still had the guts to do it! Not to mention, she's taught us so much about how to be real fairies! So if you're gonna help us, then help us instead of sitting around whining because your precious realm can't get it together!"

There was a silence. Flora, Musa, and Miele stared at Stella, completely taken aback. Flora squeezed her sister's hand, letting out a high sigh. _We might as well turn back right now..._ Tears began to form, and she closed her eyes.

And opened them again as soon as she heard Iztel's laugh.

"You've got good friends, Flora," she chuckled. "I like her." Flora swallowed as she gazed up at her wise great-grandmother's eyes.

"The answer is this," she said. "If you wish to free your headmistress from imprisonment's grasp, you must reverse the flow of time."

"Wait, you already _know_ about Faragonda being trapped?" gasped Musa.

"What do you think?" Iztel answered. "We priestesses have our own network of information. We communicate with each other so we can learn."

"Wow," said Flora in amazement. Iztel snorted.

"This is why I wanted you to become a priestess, girl," she said. "You'd be learning and reflecting, instead of wasting your time on this martial nonsense." She sighed. "You must go to the Black Willow in the Marshlands."

"The Marshlands?" asked Flora, startled. "I thought that was a wasteland."

"Of course you did, you silly girl," Iztel said. "It used to be the most beautiful marsh of all time, until the Great Fire of 728 in the Age of Blood, courtesy of Zenith" –

"_Bisabuela_!"

"Fine," Iztel muttered, breaking off from what would have been a two-hour rant. "There were two willows on the plains. One was killed and the other was badly charred. In grief, she began to weep for her sister. Her grief was so intense that the water flowed out of the cave and up the cliffside, all the way to the top of the mountain."

"A river that flows _upwards_?" gasped Musa.

"That's what I just said," snapped Iztel. "One drop of that water will turn back time and revive your headmistress. In order to harvest it, you must touch the water without touching it. I'll leave that one for you young 'uns to figure out." She let out a snort. "So go to the cave and get some water."

"Will do!" Stella said. "Let's go, girls!"

_Right_, thought Flora. They had no time to waste. _Ms. Faragonda will remain a tree forever if we don't go..._

"Oh, and there's one more thing, Princess Stella of Solaria."

Stella halted. Flora could see her eyeing the old woman with annoyance. "What?"

"You are going to break the spell on your father, correct?"

Stella growled. "Of course I'm not letting that jerk Cassandra control him. So?"

"If you wish to free him, you must proceed with caution," Iztel answered. "You may be tempted to rush out and do everything quickly, but that will not work. Too many young people these day just rush out and react, instead of taking the time to think. At the same time, you cannot be too hesitant and not act when the time is right, like those useless world leaders out there." Her eyes flashed. "And if nothing else, I will say this: you have good instincts, Stella of Solaria."

_Bisabuela must really like her_, Flora realized. It took a lot for the old priestess to give anyone a compliment, much less an impulsive girl like Stella. Stella's face flushed, and then she turned to the girls.

"Okay," she said. "So whaddya say we go and free Ms. Faragonda?"

* * *

Half-an-hour later, the girls were walking towards the cave. They walked urgently, their boots clinking against the ground. They had no time to waste; Faragonda's fate depended on them all.

Miele wasn't with them. Before heading to the cave, Flora had sent her home, much to her chagrin.

"But I wanna help you save Ms. Faragonda," she had protested.

"You can't, sweetie," Flora said gently. "You did a great job leading us to the City of Trees; we all appreciate you very much for that. But you're too young."

"But I'm a fairy!" Miele pouted.

"And you're going to be a great fairy when you grow up." Flora smiled. "But the girls and I will handle it now. Ladybug, take her home."

She picked up her sister and placed her on the ladybug, with the same ease as when she'd bathed her or change her when she was a baby. The ladybug soared into the air, and then Miele was off.

And now, they were entering the cave. There was a waterfall outside that extended all the way upwards, up the mountain. In the cave was a majestic, black willow with flourishing green leaves. Next to it was the charred stump of what had once been a tree, a very old one.

"This is beautiful," gasped Musa.

"So cool," agreed Stella. She was about to reach down and touch the water, but Flora stopped her.

"Wait!" she said. "You don't want to touch that, Stell. You could become a little kid again!"

"Oh," gasped Stella, pulling her hand away. "Then what do we do?"

"We have to touch the water without touching it," Flora reminded her.

"Obviously we need a cup or something," Musa pointed out. "I wish we'd thought to bring it ourselves!"

"No problem!" Stella picked up a large boulder from the ground. Sending solar energy into the rock, she melted the surface, creating a dent that would hold a fairly large amount of water. She grinned triumphantly and bent down towards the river.

A sudden flash of lightning hit Musa squarely in the chest. Flora jumped, startled, as the Trix appeared, cackling.

"You three!" Stella yelled, putting her hands on her hips.

"Musa!" Flora shouted. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Musa panted, pulling herself to her feet. She glared at Stormy.

"What are you jerks doing here, anyways?" Stella snarled. The three laughed.

"Destroying your little plan, that's what," Icy crooned.

"We've got some nature spells to cast," Darcy added. "Or rather, _I_ have. It involves a new power Valtor gave me. Watch and learn!"

The witch sent a wave of nebulous energy into the water. Flora watched with horror as the water turned murky and black, grimy and unfixable. _We'll never be able to bring this back to Ms. Faragonda now..._

Icy and Stormy laughed. "Good work, Darce!" Icy smirked.

"Okay, it's showtime," said Darcy, her eyes blazing purple. "We're gonna finish you pixies off."

"No, it'll be _we_ who finish _you_ off!" Stella fired back. "Bring it on, hotshot!"

Icy fired a volley of ice at Stella, who dodged. Musa took on Stormy, slamming her with a sonic boom. And Darcy flew towards Flora, darkness in her eyes as she sent forward a dark wave.

_No!_ Flora winced as the nuclear darkness hit her. Feeling nauseous, she pushed back with all her strength, hitting Darcy with a lotus spell.

But Darcy repelled it disdainfully, and with horror, Flora realized they'd gotten stronger. She stared at them, aghast. "It was _you_ who set the birds on us!"

"It was," Darcy smirked. "I've also got some more for you, too." She shot a dark spell at Flora, who set up a green shield. Using up all the energy she could, she held the barrier tight, preventing it from hitting her. The dark spell went into the shield, and then there was no more.

Darcy gnashed her teeth in annoyance. "You're the only loser here without your Enchantix. Why is this so hard?"

"Because this is my home territory," she answered, hope rising in her. "You're not going to destroy it."

"Oh, I already _have_," Darcy laughed. "We heard all about your headmistress, living in a tree. There's no hope for her."

With a sickening feeling, Flora realized she was right. _And if Ms. Faragonda isn't freed, then what chance do we have against Valtor?_

"You're wrong!" a voice behind them said. "My sister Flora will never give up!"

Flora whirled around. Standing behind them was Miele, right in the entrance of the cave. Her eyes were bright and alert as she glared at Darcy, her hands balled into fists.

"Miele!" Flora ran up to her, trying to catch her sister in her arms, but the fight had made her considerably weaker and she was fighting for breath. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm – saving you from those witches!" Miele panted.

"As if!" Icy had stopped fighting Stella, and was turning around to gaze at Miele with interest. "Who is this little pipsqueak?"

"I'm Flora's sister, and I'm not a pipsqueak!" Miele fired back. "I'm a fairy!"

The Trix broke into laughter. Stella used their distractedness to her advantage, slamming Icy and Stormy with a solar blast. They gasped in outrage, slamming into the wall.

To Flora's even greater horror, Miele ran towards Darcy, howling. With a purple gaze over her eyes, Darcy picked up a nebulous spell in her hands.

"All right," she snarled, slamming it down, "if I can't break you, Flora, then maybe you need some convincing!"

_No!_ Flora watched, horrified, as Darcy slammed all her power at Miele. The fledgling fairy was no match for the experienced witch, and she screamed in horror as she was thrown into the water.

"Miele!" Flora screamed. She could hear the Trix laughing above her, and whirled around in pain and anger. "That was my sister!" she snarled, setting a Venus fly-trap at them. Not waiting to see if it'd caught its target, she flew down, swimming through the water.

She hadn't even time to take a breath, and her body was growing heavier and slower by the second. _Come on, come _on_... _Her lungs were on fire, and every pore of her body screamed at her to swim back up to the surface and save herself.

But she knew she couldn't do that. _I'm going to save my sister, no matter what cost. _It was her fault this had happened, and she would live with her pain. At the bottom of the river she caught her sister, fighting against the spots of darkness in her vision.

Flora scooped her sister in her arms and created a water-repelling bubble around Miele. Her sister frantically gasped the air, her blue cheeks turning red. "Flora, what are you doing?" she cried.

Flora knew that time was running out. The darkness had covered half of her vision, and she felt as if a rope was strangling her by the neck. She didn't have enough energy to save both of them.

_But I do have enough for Miele... _With the last of her magical-energy, she pushed the bubble upwards until it zoomed out of sight. Breathless and exhausted, but also relieved, she fell down, the water possessing her as she sank to the bottom of the bed.

She'd heard that suffocation was painful, but there was nothing. Only... peace. Letting her last breath out, she closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was Miele's bubble shooting up to the surface of the river, into the light.

* * *

Flora opened her eyes. Something was around her – pink, tight walls with natural energy pulsing inside. She felt dry, warm, and safe, as if nothing would hurt her. Sitting up, she stared around at the walls.

_Where am I?_ How had she gotten here? Was this the realm of the dead, the Otherworld of the gods? _But if I'm dead, then how come I feel so whole?_

She stared down at her brown body, completely naked. It was then that she felt it. A soft wind caressed her body, pollen glittering around her as she stared around.

Her body was covered in soft, olive sparkles. Then her outfit began to form. A short dress, in different shades of pink, flowed as if it was made of flowers itself. Stripes of blue were at her breastbone. Flora watched breathlessly as green vines snaked up her legs, fading to dark blue. She gazed down at her chest and saw a pink, flower-shaped pouch between her breasts. Pink flowers appeared on her head, and her hair styled itself, going up in ringlets and falling down.

_This is my Enchantix_, she realized. _I – I got my Enchantix! I'm a full-fledged fairy now!_ Staring around, she felt magical energy rush over her shoulder blades. Like buds bursting into bloom, a pair of dark pink wings unfurled out, with green highlights and blue jewels.

The world around her changed. Flora watched as the pink roof above her parted, moving way to reveal a green cocoon. _I was in a flower this whole time!_ The rose burst into bloom, from a fledgling bud to a blossoming flower.

And just like the flower she stood on, Flora felt reborn. A new burst of energy rushed through her, sending waves of natural energy into her veins. She could feel nature itself connecting with her, sending its radiant vibrance into her body. _And now... it's time for the showdown._ The cocoon dissolved, and Flora found herself standing at the bottom of the river.

She quickly created an air-bubble, rising up to the surface. Her Enchantix wings were unaffected by the water as she swam, repelling it as easily as butter. Bursting into the sky, she hovered magnificently in the air, gleaming triumphantly at the witches.

Musa and Stella gasped in amazement; Miele stopped crying. The witches were eyeing Flora with outrage as she flew towards them. She lifted her pink-and-blue floral pouch from her neck.

Olive-green dust sprinkled into the murky waters, cleansing them at first touch. Within seconds, the water had turned from its sordid black to a gleaming, azure blue. Darcy shouted out indignantly at her spell's change.

Flora smiled. Focusing her new powers on the tree, she whispered quietly to it. _Please help us out_, she thought. _Punish those witches for sullying your water and for nearly killing my sister Miele. I ask of you, bereaved willow, do not let them get away with this._

She had never commanded trees before. She'd only ever commanded magivines and other magical plants she could create in an instant, plants that rose up from the ground and decomposed as soon as they were no longer fed a constant stream of energy. She could also command other non-magical plants, such as already-existing ivy and vines, to trip a person or wrap themselves around an intruder. Trees were different, however; they had a heart of their own, which was why they could never be commanded, only requested. And she had never been able to do that before with simply her Winx or Charmix power.

But it worked. The willow was seething with anger, and responded attentively to her call. With her help, the willow extended a branch forward, grabbing Icy, Darcy, and Stormy. The three were dumped into the river, howling and screaming as they disappeared under the surface.

"Way to go, girl!" Stella cheered. "That's some real power there!"

The three witches crawled out of the water unceremoniously, sopping wet. Flora flew to the ground and stared at them in fascination.

They had gone from being young adults to little girls. Younger than Miele, their faces and hairstyles were distinctly juvenile. They had identical pouts on their faces as they looked at each other.

"You looked like that, Ice?" Stormy asked. "I forgot you wore your hair in ponytails."

"And I forgot you never had hair to begin with," Icy snarled back.

"Hey, what's this?" Darcy picked up a stone on the ground, streaked with the water of the Black Willow's tears. "That's pwety." She held it to her chest, but Stormy grabbed it.

"I want it!" she snarled.

"I saw it first!" Darcy defended herself.

"Hey, it's mine!" Icy bullied her two sisters, grabbing them both with her superior strength. "I'm the oldest!"

Flora watched the antics of the three triplets with amusement. _How is it that they're so predictable?_ Musa stepped forward.

"Hey, you'd better buzz off home right now!" she warned. "Unless you want a good ol' spanking!"

The three witch tots squealed and ran out of the cave, the stone falling to the ground. Flora, Musa, Stella, and Miele stood together and laughed until their sides ached.

As they stood together, Flora sat down and held Miele in her arms, gazing at her sister lovingly. Miele brushed a strand of Flora's hair out of her face, laughing. "Thanks for saving me, sis."

"You tried to defend us first," Flora smiled. "Already I can tell your heart is in the right place." Miele grinned and snuggled against Flora's chest.

Flora knew she'd never forget this moment. The moment she'd risen to magical maturity, but also a quiet moment of pride and love. She knew no matter what, she would never forget what had made her rise to this ancient power of nobility and sacrifice.

* * *

"Let's go!" Musa shouted as the ship touched down on Gloomy Wood Forest.

Ben nodded. "I'll open the compartment below," he said. "You girls fly down. I don't know where Ms. Faragonda's tree is, but I'm sure you'll be able to find it."

"Don't worry," Stella grinned. "Flora's got that under check."

"We've got to go quickly, though," Flora said, staring at the sky. Because of the delay the Trix had caused, it was almost twilight, the sun just on the horizon. "Once the last rays of sun set, we won't be able to save Ms. Faragonda!"

"Door is open," Ben answered. "You girls go!"

The three transformed and flew out of the ship compartment, zooming in front of it. Flora led the way, closing her eyes.

_Ms. Faragonda_, she thought, _let us find you._

She sensed Ms. Faragonda's tree ahead of them, towards the north. Heart plummeting, she gasped. "Ben's dropped us too far from her tree! We'll never make it!"

"Yes we will!" Stella grabbed her hand. "Our Enchantix wings are much faster. You just have to know how to use them!"

"Stella has been practicing in Enchantix Class, and she and Layla have been teaching me new skills all week," Musa added. "So don't worry. We'll be fine."

Flora nodded, following them. Enchantix Class was run by Ms. Faragonda, which she would join now that she'd grown new wings. _Assuming we free her in time..._ She glanced up and saw that a third of the sun was now below the horizon.

"Don't watch that!" Stella shouted, grabbing her hands. "Let's just go!"

"How do I use my fast wings?" Flora asked.

"Just focus within and feel your wings," Stella answered. "You'll be able to take magical energy from your inner reservoir to power your wings. It will affect your ability to cast spells, though."

_That doesn't matter_, thought Flora. _The important thing is getting to Ms. Faragonda._ She focused within and closed her eyes, linking hands with Stella and Musa.

A strong vine of energy grabbed her, snaking into her wings and giving her control. She could feel energy gathering between her wings, itching to go at a faster speed. _But now I can..._ Letting go of her friends, she zoomed towards the north.

She led the way, following her senses that connected her with the tree to the north, the tree that held their headmistress' lifeline. _We have to get there..._ Heart pounding, she soared towards a tree...

And stopped as soon as four witches appeared.

"Oh no!" gasped Flora, slowing down. She sensed that the witches were under Valtor's control, and they shot an attack spell at her, one which she narrowly dodged. Musa flew forward, her eyes blazing.

"You go ahead, Flo!" she yelled. "We'll take care of this!"

Flora nodded, racing frantically with the water under her arms. A third of the sun was under the horizon; she had no time to waste.

_I have to get to the grove_, she thought. She flew frantically, flying against time.

She reached the grove of the tree, grabbing the saucer of water. And then she froze. Valtor was standing right there, a smile on his face.

"Well, well," he smirked. "Fairy of nature, here we meet. So nice to see you."

Flora hovered, paralyzed with panic. _No, no, no..._ She shot an ivy vine at him.

But he effortlessly dodged, flying towards her. She screamed as he bound her in an electric cage.

"Looks like your poor headmistress isn't going to be saved," he jeered. "So sad."

Flora glared at him, trying her hardest not to burst into tears. _Not now, not now..._ Her Enchantix, all for nothing. Valtor smiled, staring up at his prisoner as he spoke.

"I sent those witches after you to stop you from getting the water, which they obviously failed at," he said. "But I am here, and you are no match for me, little fairy."

_That's not true_, Flora thought. She had her Enchantix, and although she may still be weaker than Valtor, she wasn't going to fail. _I have to do this. _She focused her energy on the trees, calling to them. Trying to stall Valtor for as much as possible, she said, "What are you going to do to Bloom?"

"Bloom?" Valtor snorted, though she saw a surprised look in his eyes. "What would I care about that pathetic fairy?"

"I know you're after her," Flora said boldly. "It's not a secret that she has the Dragon Flame. You're going to do something to her."

Valtor laughed. "After I finish you off, yes. But I'll let you know that I'm saving her for the very last." His eyes burned. "You have no idea how easy it would be for me. She could be gone in an instant if I willed it, after all the power I've accumulated."

The trees listened to Flora's call. Flora forced her mind to work in two hemispheres as she stared at Valtor.

"You haven't answered my question. What do you want with her?"

"You think I'm going to give away all my secrets?" Valtor laughed. "As if. You mistake me for a novice, young fairy." He looked up as the trees twisted towards him, and gasped in surprise. "What" –

His words cut off as the branches grabbed him, pulling him by the waist. Gasping, Valtor tried to pull away, but was trapped. The electric bars disappeared. Flora smiled at him, sending him a stream of pollen dust as an insult.

"I think it's _you_ who mistook _me_ as a novice," she said smartly, flying away.

She had to be quick. She had no idea how long Valtor would be held, and in any case, the sun was barely above the horizon. Only a few rays penetrated through, illuminating the air. _I have to go..._ She reached Faragonda's tree and grabbed her water.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered, pouring water over Faragonda's face. Combining it with her fairy-dust, she spiraled around the tree, from the roots, through the branches, and up to the crown. The sweet-scented dust spread everywhere, the young tree glittering from top to bottom.

And as the final ray of sun shone down, the tree burst into light. A white flash covered it from root to crown, and Flora fell to the ground, kneeling.

In the flash of bright light, an old woman stepped out, smiling. She placed her hand on Flora's head, and the nature-fairy looked up, relieved to see her headmistress at last.

"Smart girl, Flora," she said. "I think you passed your final exam with flying colors. You have grown very much from your first day as a freshman at Alfea."

Flora looked gratefully at her headmistress, remembering her first day at Alfea. How scared she'd been, until she'd met Bloom and the others. And from then on, she'd grown, from a shy, apologetic girl to a loving, mature fairy. Her ability to profess her love to Mirta last year, after she'd helped her heal the Flower of Life, was proof of that growth and maturity. And now, she was a Fairy of Nature at last.

A shout behind her told her that Valtor had freed himself from the tree's clutches. Faragonda turned around, her eyes blazing.

"Now, Flora," she said. "Let's take him down together!"

Valtor smiled. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said. "This battle I concede to you, but not the war. You are free, Headmistress Faragonda, but do not mistake freedom for mercy, as you will be one of the last to fall." He bowed. "Flora, fairy of nature, until we meet again."

He vanished, presumably to Cloud Tower. Flora looked at Faragonda, who smiled gently and placed her hand on Flora's shoulder.

"Valtor's right," she said. "We will meet him again. But you have now joined the ranks of the Higher Art, Flora, and you will train with me to learn new skills. That, I am sure of."

Flora nodded, gazing at the almost-dark sky. Stars were beginning to appear, and she knew the battle would be long and arduous. _But I can at least learn the Higher Art now. _She held her head high.

_And then help my friends take Valtor down._

* * *

**Flora's joined the Enchantix squad! Woohoo! I made it a lot more dramatic than it was in the series, so I hope you enjoyed it!**

**Also, I'm adding the 'Previously on AUP' section just to remind you of events that happened before, particularly in the chapters where intensity is high. It's similar to the 'Previously on Winx Club' section in the 4Kids version. I always liked how they did that, just because it adds to the suspense of the show.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Faragonda reveals some important information.**

**\- Layla's eighteenth birthday arrives.**

**\- The Winx take their semester finals.**

**Stay tuned for next week's update!**


	17. Chapter 16: Semester Finals

**Hello, everyone! I'm excited for this chapter. How are things going for you all? Get ready for the next installment!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"_****_I'm sorry, guys," Layla frowned. "I can't come to Linphea."_**

**_"What?" gasped Musa. "Ms. Faragonda needs us!"_**

**_"I'm sorry," Layla winced. "My parents are coming to Magix City today. They need to speak to me about something urgent."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"We've practiced this spell for weeks now," Palladium said. "Tecna, you should be able to do this. You haven't been applying yourself at all." He reached into his desk and pulled something out._**

**_"And these," he said, "are your quizzes from Advanced Battle." She'd gotten a 74% on one and a 52% on the other._**

**_"You've never gotten below an 80% on theory exams before." Palladium frowned at her. "Tecna, is there something going on in your personal life that we need to know about? Something that's preventing you from doing your work?"_**

**_"No," said Tecna instantly. "Absolutely nothing."_**

**_"You disappeared from campus a few weeks ago," Palladium responded, "for no apparent reason. You never do anything without a reason. That gives me good reason to believe something's going on." He sighed. "I'm going to give you extra coaching after class."_**

**_"But" – Tecna gasped._**

**_"No buts," he said firmly. "I've spoken with Headmistress Faragonda, and she's agreed. You need to learn these spells, Tecna. How do you think you're going to learn to defend the Magical Dimension? Great evil is coming, and we need every student on campus to be able to apply herself if there's any chance of defeating Valtor. Do you understand?"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"_****_Princess of Domino," Valtor jeered, "want to face it off?"_**

**_"No!" Faragonda zoomed towards him. "You will not attack any one of my students. Your quarrel is with me, and me alone!"_**

**I knew it! ****_thought Tecna. _****Something happened between the two of them, something horrible. But what?**

* * *

CHAPTER 16: SEMESTER FINALS

_I can't do this_, Tecna thought, her head spinning. _I just can't. _She stared down at her desk, feeling exhausted and drained.

"We have midterms coming up in a few weeks," Avalon said, "and you haven't even learned spells we went over in the first month of school." He frowned at her. "Apply yourself, Tecna!"

_Apply myself. _Words she'd heard from Palladium, Faragonda, and just about every teacher at this point. She suppressed a groan.

"You can do it," Avalon repeated. "You just have to try."

Tecna groaned. _I don't want to do this… I hate being here. _She stared down at the floor.

Avalon had finally gotten his way with the extra coaching. He'd spoken to Griselda, who'd been acting as temporary headmistress; she'd agreed to make Tecna go for extra help. And now Tecna had no choice but to work with him, alongside Palladium and Wizkiz, both of whom had noticed her inadequacy in class.

_This leaves me even _less _time to do Vasiliev's work. _How could she, when she had three hours of extra-coaching every night? It didn't help her, and it certainly didn't help her with all the work that was piling up on her shoulders.

"Go ahead," Avalon said. "Focus on your energy within. Focus your magical reservoir."

Tecna concentrated. _I need to connect with my source… _She focused inward, gritting her teeth as she tried to get in-tune with herself.

"Focus on your breathing first," the professor said. "That will help you."

_Okay. _Tecna closed her eyes, gasping in air. _I'm so tired… _She heaved her breath in and out, not feeling any calmer than before.

"You can't force this," Avalon said calmly. "Let it in, and let it out. Don't force anything."

_Shut up! _thought Tecna, gritting her teeth. _You're so annoying! _Letting out an irritated breath, she slammed her energy into herself.

Electricity zapped through her. She screamed as she fell down, pain shooting through her limbs. _No… _Avalon ran to her and knelt down.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

Tecna didn't answer. Her headache was magnified, and white-hot pain shot through all her joints. _No… _Avalon helped her up.

"I'll get you to the infirmary," he said.

"No," Tecna said, pulling away. "I'll be fine."

"I don't think so," Avalon frowned. "Your energy just combusted. You need to be checked to make sure you're all right" –

"_No_," Tecna said forcefully. There was a reason why she avoided Nurse Ofelia as much as possible, and it was because she was a cyborg. _I can't have her find out… _That would be a complete, utter disaster.

"Okay, then," Avalon said warily. "Get some sleep, then."

Tecna forced down the bitter laugh in her throat. _Sleep… yeah, right… _She stalked off, lowering her head as she disappeared out of his classroom and into the hall.

* * *

That night was extraordinarily difficult. Tecna continued working at her sets; she had finished the eleven-hundredth and twenty-fifth of the week. _Not nearly enough… _Gritting her teeth, she stared up at the board in front of her, her eyes dull.

There were just too many distractions. If she didn't have to do so much work, and complete all Alfea obligations, she'd be fine. But now she had so many things going on around her, as well as Vasiliev's rules. _I can't do this. I can't I can't I can't I can't…_

BREAKING NEWS, suddenly flashed across her screen. SUMMIAN PRESIDENT HILARIOUSLY GAFFES, TWEETS 'DEATH TO VALOR' INSTEAD OF 'DEATH TO VALTOR' –

_And there's _that_! _Why did feed always have to pop up in front of her vision when she was working? _I swear, if I get _one_ more of these…_

As if on cue, the Magix Modern Matrix sent out another alert. BREAKING NEWS: ZENITH MISSILE-LAUNCHES DISCOVERED ON REMOTE PLANET.

Tecna sat up straight. _What? _Zenith was testing _missiles _now?

_Please don't tell me what I think is going on. _A bad feeling was settling in her gut, unavoidable and painful. She scrolled through her feed, trying to focus on that and her coding at the same time.

_Zenithian missile activity has just been public. For the past many months, the superpower has been testing missiles and other weapons under the radar. However, Triple M experts have just uncovered missile activity on the remote planet of Kronos, near the Kingdom of Eraklyon, amid heavy enchantments cloaking the activity._

Space, function(t48595) = 450; If function(t48595) = true, function(t48595(x)) = 393.6; function(t48596)…

_This activity has been a cause for concern of many world leaders._

_"This is very troubling news," a spokesman for Queen Isabel of Linphea said in a statement. "The Disarmament Treaty of 126 declared all missile activity to be illegal, and ordered disarmament of all UR nations. This is a clear violation of that treaty, as well as unacceptable for any progressive realm."_

() = verified; (t48610(x)) = 85494; function(t48611)…

_Zenith's clear violation of the Disarmament Treaty may lead to ramifications from the UR itself. It is not clear exactly what those ramifications might be, but the UR has never been afraid to step in as a governing body and sanction realms that do not follow to its creed. Zenith, as a signatory to the Disarmament Treaty, must adhere to all terms set by said Treaty and act as a proper realm in UR standing…_

= true; binaryCode93002 = 01010001; .document…

"Ms. Faragonda's back!"

Tecna jumped, completely startled. _What's going on? _She stared blankly at Bloom, who'd just arrived in Tecna's dorm room. The pixies trailed behind her.

"Flora, Musa, and Stella succeeded," Bloom continued. "She's addressing the school now. We're all needed in the quad!"

"All right!" Digit cheered. "Three cheers for them!"

Tecna glared at the pixie, who was pointedly ignoring her._ You won't own up to what you did? Fine._

After seeing the Faragonda tree in the forest, Tecna and Digit had gotten into a fight. Tecna was, naturally, furious that Digit had told the other Winx what she'd done.

"You promised you wouldn't tell!" she snapped at Digit. "How could you betray me like that?"

"Well, _you _promised me it'd be a few weeks at the most," Digit fired back, "and it's Octomensis already!"

"You know I have a lot of work to do!" Tecna snarled. "This was the least you could do for me, Digit! I can't believe I trusted you!"

"You know _what_?" Digit snarled. "I can't believe I didn't report you to Ms. Faragonda the moment you asked me to do your stupid homework! This is ridiculous, Tecna! It has to stop!"

"Well, I didn't _force _you to do my homework," Tecna retorted. "I don't even _need _you! I'll do my homework on my own!"

"Fine!" Digit flew out the window, slamming it shut behind her.

"_Fine_!" Tecna yelled, kicking the wall with her nonmetal foot. _Oww, that hurts… _She fell down to the floor, gasping at the pain in her toe.

And now, she got up as quickly as adrenaline would let her, tiredness overtaking her. _I guess I'll have to finish my coding later… of course, _another _interruption…_ She changed quickly, and she and Digit followed Bloom out the door.

Girls were standing in the quad, staring. They cheered as Musa, Stella, and Flora walked by her side, shouting.

"Ms. F's back!" they chanted. "Ms. F's back! Ms. F's back!"

_How do they have so much energy?_ thought Tecna, staring. She couldn't even remember what energy felt like, how it was like to be fully awake. _There's nothing to even be excited about..._

"Of course," Eris smirked. "It must've been easy, not having that witch-girl tailing them."

Tecna glared at Eris. _Shut up… _But she was too tired to do or even say anything about her. She stared up at the headmistress, who smiled and waved her hands for quiet.

"Thank you, girls," she said. "First of all, I'd like to thank Musa, Stella, and Flora, who journeyed courageously to Linphea. I was trapped in a tree, and they needed a special type of Linphean water in order to reverse the spell Valtor put upon me. I also have a special shout-out for Flora, who earned her Enchantix in the process. As she flew towards my tree to release me, she was cornered by Valtor. She successfully managed to trick him, and freed me just as twilight descended upon us."

_She did what?_ thought Tecna in amazement. Flora smiled modestly, her cheeks turning as pink as possible on her brown skin. The fairies' cheers changed, and they began to chant, "Flora! Flora! Flora!"

"Now," Faragonda continued, and the chants hushed. "I apologize for calling you so late, out of your dorms. But I have decided that it is time for you girls to know the truth. It was a mistake to ever shield it from you, and if anything should ever happen to me, you will need to know why he's like this so you can step it up. I need you all to know about Valtor."

The tension increased; not a single eye strayed from Faragonda. It was clear that she was giving them the information they'd wanted to hear for so long. Digit stopped tapping her phone and stared up at the headmistress.

"Two hundred years ago, the wizard we now know as Valtor was born," Faragonda said. "He was born in Whisperia, the son of a witch named Ahmya. He was named Basan, after the fire-breathing beast of Whisperia. Although his mother was Whisperian in birth, for a time, she lived in a realm that is now buried in ice and snow. In fact, she was a servant in the Palace of Domino."

Everyone gasped. Tecna and the Winx turned to stare at Bloom, who had a stunned expression on her face.

"King Ludwig had a wife, Queen Helga," Faragonda added. "However, their marriage was unhappy, and he was known to have many mistresses. One of them was Ahmya. The infant boy was, in many ways, more wizard than fairy-man; by age three, he could cast spells. He is not a true Dominian, because he mostly has powers endemic to Whisperians. However, the young Basan had inherited one power of his father's, one which the Ancestresses coveted: the Dragon Flame.

"The Ancestresses soon found out. When the boy was three years old, they murdered his sickly mother and snatched him from her dead body. With their extensive training, he turned into a strong warrior, one of the strongest wizards in Whisperia.

"When Basan found that he was the son of King Ludwig, he felt cheated. He became determined to claim his throne, and the Ancestresses helped him. Travelling to Domino, he spent many years inciting anger against his brother, King Oritel."

_Oritel_, thought Tecna, her head spinning. _Why does that name sound familiar?_ Digit gasped in amazement and horror.

"That's Bloom's birth father!" she hissed.

"So Basan staged a coup on King Oritel. His charisma and charm convinced many peasants, and even a few nobles, that his brother was weak and useless. It didn't hurt that he promised many gifts to better the peasants' lives. He also had magic, which Oritel had never had. With their help, he was able to storm the Palace of Domino."

Every girl that wasn't already staring at Bloom was staring at her now.

"A bitter and bloody war ensued. The Civil War of Domino, from Year 922-940, was one of the longest and deadliest wars Domino had ever seen. Basan was defeated, but at a high price; Oritel had lost six hundred thousand men, as well as the faith of his people."

_That's nearly a third of the kingdom_, Tecna realized. Before eternal winter had set upon Domino, the population count had been about two million; it had been one of the largest, most thriving realms in the dimension. _No wonder Domino lost to the Ancestresses so easily!_

Now she thought she remembered studying the Dominian Civil War. They had talked about Basan, and how he'd almost destroyed the realm. However, no one ever told them that Basan had the Dragon Flame, or that he was connected to the monarchy. _No wonder he's so angry…_

"Fifty-five years later," Faragonda continued, "The Ancestresses broke Basan out of prison. They were angry with him for failing, and sent him on their next mission. He no longer wanted to rule the kingdom; instead, he sought to destroy the nation his brother had worked so hard to build. This time, they were successful, and although Oritel banished his half-brother to Omega, the Ancestresses finished the job, at the cost of their lives.

"I was one of the warriors who aided Oritel and his wife, Marion, to defend the kingdom. I was part of the Company of Light, an elite task-force of seven warriors formed by the UR. Although there are records of Basan's incarceration, there are no records of this man called Valtor; he assumed this name after breaking out of Omega not too long ago. My only regret is that I lived to see the realm's destruction. But I promise you, girls, that I will defend this school with my last breath." Her eyes flashed. "I need you to promise me, in turn, that you will not go out of your way to fight with Valtor." For a moment, her eyes rested briefly on Bloom, and then the other Winx girls. "Promise me you will not put yourselves in danger."

"We promise, Ms. Faragonda," two hundred girls said in unison.

"Good," Faragonda nodded grimly. "This is one of the worst threats the Magical Dimension has ever seen. I commend the teachers and seniors who worked together to re-construct the magical barrier. I shall add some of my own power to it, and under my watch, nothing or no one else will penetrate through." She let out a long, heavy sigh, one with the weight of a thousand realms. "You girls are dismissed."

Everyone left the quad, exclaiming to each other in loud voices. Tecna stayed rooted, staring up at the headmistress in disbelief. _She can't have... Oh, how is this happening..._ She turned around and saw that Stella was standing with Bloom, an arm around her shoulder.

"I can't believe this," Bloom said confusedly. "Valtor – he's my half-uncle?"

"Seems like it," Musa said grimly, joining them.

"Don't worry, we're going to fight him," Stella declared. "We're not letting this bitter rothead get my Bloom. You with me, Winx?"

"Yes!" said all the girls. Tecna silently echoed with them, not having the energy to say anything more.

"Hang on a second, we're missing someone," Flora said suddenly. "Where's Layla?"

"She's still with her parents," Musa answered. "But I thought she should've been back by n" –

As if on cue, Layla ran through the gates, crying. The girl's hair was everywhere, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Layla!" gasped Flora. "What happened?"

"It's... it's just"... Layla sobbed, trying to regain her composure. Musa held her as she sobbed, letting it out. "My parents have this tradition on Andros, but I didn't think they'd enforce it."

"What is it?" asked Tecna, a bad feeling settling in her gut.

"I'm coming of age next week," Layla cried. "They've picked out the man they want me to marry."

"Who?" Stella exclaimed.

"He's from a very wealthy family on the island of Hosseini," Layla wept. "A fairy-being. I don't know anything about him, except that his name is Nabu and my life is completely ruined."

Layla continued to sob, her cries piercing the air. All Tecna could do was stare, feeling more and more hopeless as she watched her friend cry.

* * *

If Tecna had to marry a man she didn't love, how would she react? How torn would she be, as if she could never accept or know herself?

If anyone had asked this to Tecna two years ago, she would have said it was commonplace. After all, the very notion of love where she came from was ridiculous. People married for logical reasons, such as wealth and attractiveness. And Tecna would someday marry a faceless stranger on Zenith, if nothing else, for the sake of procreation.

But now Tecna felt very much differently. She knew a lifetime without Timmy would be a lifetime of stabbing her own heart out. She could barely imagine the pain Layla was going through at having to marry a man she didn't love.

Of course, it was not like love was such an intrinsic quality for Tecna. In fact, it was fairly new for her to even consider it a possibility, an important part of life. After all, it had been only a few months ago that Tecna and Timmy hadn't even been dating; in fact, they had been as far apart from one another as could be…

She still remembered that day last summer, when Bloom, Stella, Layla, and Musa had gone to Earth for a weekend. Flora and Tecna had elected to stay on campus, and Flora had joined Tecna in her room. Flora was having problems with her phone, so she showed it to Tecna.

"I don't understand," she said. "I have this so I can connect with Mirta instantly if she has any problem. But it's not working."

"Let me see." Tecna picked up the phone and opened it. "What's the problem?"

"I can't connect with Mirta's cell," Flora answered. "I don't understand why. She called me a few nights ago to talk, but I didn't even know until I went to the hospital to visit her."

Tecna frowned as she gazed at the phone. _Faulty connections… _She opened Settings and clicked on 'Connections'. Suddenly, it occurred to her.

"You need to reroute your connector," she said. "It's not working properly. If you fix that, then you'll be able to receive calls at any time."

"Can you fix it for me, Tec?" Flora asked. "Please? If it's not too much" –

Tecna was already tapping on the phone. "Here." She found the coding dialog, typed in some lines, and then handed it back to Flora. "Bingo."

"Tecna, thanks so much!" Flora squealed. "You're the best."

"I'm not really," Tecna said, her cheeks heating. "I mean, I'm great with computers and all, but I still don't understand this emotional stuff you guys keep talking about."

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, Tecna," Flora said. "You're so much more laid-back than you were last year. It's been really fun hanging out with you."

"I hope," Tecna said moodily. She gazed out the window.

"Tecna, what's wrong?"

The pink-haired fairy turned to her friend, who was staring at her with concern in her eyes.

"Nothing," she said, attempting a small smile. "It's just… Timmy gets on my nerves sometimes."

"What do you mean?" Flora sat down on her bed, and patted the spot next to her. "Come sit next to me."

Awkwardly, Tecna stood up and sat next to Flora. She'd never sat on someone else's bed; back in Zenith, it was just considered rude. But she saw the other girls do it all the time, though it'd taken her a while to accept that this was a norm between close friends.

"He only talks about computers," she confessed. "Every time we meet together, we keep talking about different OS systems, phones, and computers. It's aggravating, and I don't know why" –

"I get it," Flora said. "You want him to speak to you like a girlfriend, not like a robot."

Tecna stared at Flora. "What? That's absurd! I don't think of him like"… She sighed, gazing down at her feet. "Okay, I suppose I do."

"Of course you have feelings for him," Flora said. "You two are compatible in so many ways. You'd be perfect for one another."

"But I can't have a boyfriend!" Tecna cried out. "My parents would be furious. The only reason they let me come to Alfea is because it's a girls' college. It's not proper, Flora, to _date _anyone!"

"What do you mean?" Flora stared at her in confusion.

"Zenithians don't date," Tecna answered. "Our parents choose who we are to marry, based off of wealth and compatibility. We don't fall in _love_."

"And yet, you clearly have," Flora pointed out. "Don't you see, Tecna? If you live life the way everyone tells you to, you'll be miserable."

Tecna _did _see. She could imagine a life without Timmy, a life without love, and it was too painful. She sighed, lowering her head. "But then what do I do?"

"Don't tell your parents anything," Flora advised. "I can't imagine why they wouldn't love you for who you are, but… if you're not comfortable having them know, then don't let them. You shouldn't get in trouble."

"Okay," Tecna sighed. "But then what do I do about Timmy? He's so infuriating! He won't talk about me like he cares about me – he only sees me as another one of his computers. He's a coward, that's all it is! He won't even treat me like" –

"Have you ever thought that you might be projecting your own nervousness onto Timmy?"

Tecna stared at Flora. "Nervous? That's absurd! I'm not"… She searched her computerized brain for a definition of nervousness.

NERVOUS, her computer read. EASILY AGITATED OR ALARMED; TENDING TO BE ANXIOUS; HIGHLY STRUNG.

"No," she declared to Flora, who was sitting patiently next to her. "I'm not nervous."

"Then what's stopping you from asking Timmy out?" asked Flora. "Tell him you like him. If you're not nervous, then you can take the first step."

"But"… _How can I do that if my parents won't allow me to have a boyfriend in the first place?_

"Tecna, I think you're really frustrated right now," Flora said. "You're rebelling against the restrictions of your realm, but at the same time, you find it hard to let go. And then you're also angry with Timmy for not taking the first step because _you _can't; therefore, you label him as a coward. That's why you're having so much trouble."

_That makes more sense_, Tecna thought. _It's almost… logical. I didn't think of things that way. _She stared at Flora.

"How are you so good at this stuff?"

"I don't know," Flora smiled. "How are you so good with computers? That's just who you are, Tecna. So? Are you going to ask him out?"

"No," Tecna said, getting up and walking to the window.

"What?" Flora asked, sounding startled.

"I can't," Tecna said. Her voice had changed, and she stared frostily out the window. "My studies come first, and so does saving Magix. I can't let Timmy get in my way."

And that's what she'd convinced herself, all the way up to the Resort Realm. That time had been a turning point for her, one where she'd finally learned to let go.

_And yet, I still don't feel happy_, Tecna thought. _I still don't feel empowered, or strong, or brave. Why can't I do this?_

"Tecna!"

Tecna shot open her eyes. Bloom was standing in front of her, a smile on her face. "Do you remember what day it is?" she asked cheerfully.

Tecna frowned, looking in her digital calendar. "Octomensis 15?"

"Layla's birthday!" Stella shouted. "Come on, let's go cheer her up!"

* * *

To celebrate, the girls went out to the beach, the sun shining brilliantly on them. Tecna had tried to smile as they swam, sat, and talked together, but she truly wasn't in the mood. The brightness of the sun kept bothering her eyes, after weeks of staying indoors for so long. _Plus the heat is going to make me sweat all over my rusty joints… _She sighed, feeling miserable.

She didn't seem like the only one, though. Layla was happy to be celebrating her birthday, but very nervous about the prospect of marrying someone she clearly didn't want to be with. _So much for cheering her up._

"I'm definitely calling this marriage off," she told the other girls.

"Well, you should try him out first," Bloom suggested. "If you really don't want to be with him, your parents can't force you."

_Wow, looks like _someone's_ naïve_, Tecna thought, holding in a snort. _She has no choice. She might as well surrender her autonomy right now! _Bitterness overtook her, and she slammed her spoon into her half-melted ice-cream. On the other side of the table, she saw Flora cast her a worried look.

"He may be a nice guy," Layla said, "but that's not the point. I don't want to get _married _so soon! This is ridiculous!"

"I'll talk to your parents," Stella suggested, "and check out the boy myself."

"No thanks, Stell." Layla looked at Musa. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Musa frowned. "You're in a mind-slappin' situation right there, Lay. Just like the one on Melody." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't go back home for break."

"Musa, I'm so sorry," gasped Layla. "How bad is the situation?"

"It's taken interrealm media attention," Musa answered. "Apparently the portal's become something like a tornado, sending violent winds and destroying houses in the area. Some people have been injured from contact with it. The news-crews are tryin' ta enter, but the Melodian government has banned them. Even UR Defense forces have been banned from entry, now that two hooligan criminals snuck onto a ship and are jammin' up Summa. It's gotten so bad that a radical sect has gained traction, claiming that we should relocate to another planet."

"_What_?" Bloom gasped.

_Good luck with that_, Tecna thought, wincing as the heat burned her arms. _I'm gonna have sunburn now… _She lowered her head, wishing she cared more for the Melodian situation at hand. But she was unable to concentrate, with all the heat and sweat over her metal joints.

"Well, the Realm of Melody owns a few planets in the same galaxy, so it wouldn't be too hard," Musa answered. "They have very harsh environments, but with the right potions and spells, they could make it work – somehow. It's not going to happen, though. Nobody wants ta leave Melody. But the king's got real 'tude, that's for sure. I spoke ta Galatea, and even she doesn't know why things are like this."

"Do you think something's going on with that portal?" Flora asked urgently. "Something so sinister, they can't tell anyone?"

"I was kinda hopin' ya wouldn't say that," Musa answered. "But I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Yeah," Stella agreed. "It's not like that portal's gonna blow up the whole realm, right?"

"Are you joking right now, Stell?" Musa groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"What do you think, Tecna?" Bloom asked. "You've been silent all this time, but you're always up-to-date on the news. What do you think's going to happen?"

Tecna gazed down at her ice-cream. It had now completely melted in the sun's gaze, and was completely inedible. "I don't know."

After eating _tarikh baskuit_, a kind of Androsian cookie with dried fruits and nuts, Flora pulled Tecna aside.

"Tecna, we're really worried about you," she said. "You haven't eaten much, and you barely talked while we were on the beach. Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_," Tecna insisted. Why did everyone insist on asking her that question?

"No, you're not," Flora said. "What's going on?"

Tecna racked her brain, trying to think of an excuse. She thought of all the work she had to do for Vasiliev.

"Avalon gave a lot of work," she finally said. "That's all it is. I have a lot of work from Palladium, too."

Flora nodded, though Tecna could tell that Flora knew she was lying. She let out a sigh.

Another few weeks passed. Tecna continued working on her sets, pushing herself even farther with her skills. _Apply yourself… _The same words Avalon had used pushed her to work harder on Vasiliev's work.

She could no longer hide the black circles around her eyes, but she didn't care to. She'd learned to cast an illusion spell so that it looked as if she was sleeping, when in reality, she was doing her work under the covers. It was fooling Musa for now, but she didn't know how long it would work.

She closed her eyes. _I can't think about this… please, let me survive. _She sighed.

_Please, let me get through this week…_

* * *

Unfortunately, Tecna was not going to get through the week. In fact, things were spiraling further and further down, more and more out of her control.

The second of Novemensis arrived, which meant finals. Enchantix fairies were excused from them – meaning, all the Winx but Bloom and Tecna. There were about ten girls in their class so far who'd gotten their Enchantixes, and were therefore exempt. The forty of them remaining groused about not being exempt and stood in line, waiting for their room assignments to commence. They would be in this room for the rest of exam week, and would get their results promptly by Sunday.

"Surnames A to F, you're with Professor Patel," Griselda called. "G to K, you're with Professor Avalon. L to O, you're with Professor DuFour. And P to Z, you're with Professor Palladium."

_Just my luck I had to end up with _him, thought Tecna as Avalon ushered them into the room. Bloom gave her a thumbs-up while following Palladium, which she returned halfheartedly.

All that week, she was in a state of panic. She guessed on half the written portion for Palladium's class and all for Wizkiz. The Internet, as always, was shut down during exam-week. Her mind was abuzz the entire time, overflowing with confusion, then anxiety, then terror.

_I must pass_, she thought feverishly, scribbling on the paper. _I MUST. I cannot fail. Focus, Tecna, focus!_ But no matter how hard she tried, her mind went blank, and more often than not, she collapsed on the desk.

Then came the practical part. It was administered in all four of Tecna's classes, and proctored by each respective teacher. Girls stood in alphabetical order, waiting for their names to be called. The other girls spoke to each other feverishly, panicking about the exam.

"I'm gonna fail."

"I swear I haven't studied enough."

"I'm not going to graduate."

"Oh, why didn't I study plant transformations harder?"

_SHUT UP!_ A storm was brewing in Tecna's mind. _I don't want to hear about it! You're making it worse!_ She glared at the girls, but they took no notice; they were all too worried about themselves.

She was unable to transform into a lily when Wizkiz asked her to. Palladium asked her to duel a foe tailored specially for her; she was slammed unceremoniously into the wall. She was also unable to merge two sticks into the same entity, something she would've been able to do before.

But the worst performance, by far, was in Avalon's exam.

It was Friday, Novemensis 13, the last day of exams. It was mainly for all the students taking electives; therefore, many of the others were gone by now. He had her sit down in a mat, and sat down next to her, directing her to look into a crystal ball. "Reach into the recesses of your mind. I want you to perform a hypnosis spell, one which will require great attention and calm. Empty your mind."

But Tecna couldn't empty her mind. She stared at the crystal ball, her head whirling with tasks she had to do. _Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Go out to lunch with Bloom. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Do a makeover with Stella. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set. Meet Palladium for extra coaching. Reach my six-hundred-thousandth set..._

Something black obscured her vision, starting as a dot in front of her, then expanding all across her view. Then her neural networks buzzed, and she yelled in pain. The electricity was consuming her, eating her alive...

She woke up again in the infirmary, breathless and exhausted. Nurse Ofelia was standing over her, hands on her hips.

"What have you been doing, young lady?"

"I" – Tecna stared at her. _What happened? Why am I here?_

"You've been working too hard," Ofelia said severely. "This is what happens when you don't pace yourself! You haven't given yourself rest at all!"

"That's not true!" Tecna cried. "I haven't studied at all!"

"Indeed." Faragonda stood in the doorway, looking unusually grave. "You failed all of your exams, Tecna. Your highest score was a 38% in Magical Connections and the lowest a 4% in Magiphilosophy. This was with both the written portion and practical part combined." Her gaze skewered the girl lying on the bed. "Do you understand what this means?"

Nurse Ofelia blocked Faragonda, her eyes flashing. "The girl needs rest now, Faragonda, not more stress! You can talk to her about exams later!"

"This cannot wait," said Faragonda severely. "Normally, I would agree, but with Valtor on the rise, the situation is much more grave. Tecna, listen to me."

Tecna unwillingly met the headmistress's eyes.

"You have always been a good student. In the few classes I've had you, you've been a pleasure to teach, innovative and a skilled learner. This year, everything has taken a turn for you, and you've been on a downward slide from day one. Therefore, I ask you: what is going on in your life that is preventing you from applying yourself?"

_The same question Avalon and Palladium asked me_, Tecna thought. She stared up at Headmistress Faragonda.

"I cannot say."

"Then you will remain on campus for the rest of the year," said Faragonda. "You will not leave for any reason, not until you tell me what's going on. You are on academic probation until your grades come up."

Tecna couldn't answer, couldn't even muster any feeling at this. The truth was, she was beyond caring at this point. _Nothing really matters anymore... _Faragonda left the room, leaving Nurse Ofelia to force Sleeping Potion down Tecna's resisting mouth. She eventually gave way, allowing the potion to force her into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Tecna!"

The pink-haired girl jumped as Digit flew into her arms. She stared tiredly at the pixie, too exhausted to even shoo her away.

She had just been discharged from the infirmary, on Ofelia's severe warning that she'd better rest and eat well from now on. _Not going to happen..._ Digit stared up at her, her voice a squeak as she spoke.

"You know, I think you should tell Ms. Faragonda everything."

Tecna stared at Digit in horror. All she could say was, "What?"

"Tecna, she'll understand," Digit answered. "She'll understand that you're a cyborg, and that you have some work to do for Mr. Vasiliev's company. That's all it is, right?"

Tecna grimaced. Although Digit knew that Tecna worked for a man in Zenith and had computer wiring, she didn't know about the threats she was constantly hoarded with under his guardianship. Or about what he'd done to her. She shuddered at the memory, purposefully keeping her face blank. _I can't, I can't..._

"Tecna?" Digit was staring at her. "What do you think?"

"Digit, this is completely illogical," Tecna said. "First of all, if Faragonda finds I'm a cyborg, she'll expel me from Alfea. There's a reason why we've been keeping it a secret, and it's because cyborgs aren't allowed at UR defense schools." _Barely any school will accept us, because our computerized brains give us an advantage over everyone. Supposedly._

"So?" Digit asked. "Faragonda won't care. Besides, she can't expel you now, not after you've proven yourself so many times!"

"Digit, the answer is no!" Tecna snapped, rage building up in her. "You are so naïve! I'm not going to jeopardize myself just because" –

The sound of a door slamming open made her shut her mouth, and she turned around and stared. Flora was walking into the room, followed by Layla, Musa, and Stella.

"We heard voices yelling," Musa said uncertainly. "Um… Tec, are you okay?"

Flora walked forward and took Tecna's hands. "Sweetie, what happened? Faragonda said you were in the infirmary. We tried to come in but Nurse Ofelia wouldn't let us, because you were sleeping."

"What'd you do?" demanded Layla.

Tecna looked up hopelessly at her friends. "I failed my exams," she said.

"And?" Stella prompted her.

"I'm not allowed to leave campus."

Silence. Every girl stared at Tecna, at a loss for words.

"So, what are you going to do?" Layla asked finally.

"I have to work harder," Tecna answered. She could feel the stares of the girls on her face. "I need to get my degree. There's no other way."

"But you work too hard!" Stella exclaimed. "Seriously, girl, you need to just chill and sit back for once. If I worked this hard, I'd" –

"No," Tecna cut her off. "I have to do this."

"Enough is enough." Musa glared at her. "You're killing yourself, Tec. Ya bonkers, doing all this for Symphonia-knows-what-reason. Ya need ta stop, or else we'll" –

"Stay out of this!" Tecna fired; Musa took a step back, alarmed by her tone. "It's none of your business, all of you! Stay out of this, or else I'll" –

Bloom burst into the room. Tecna stopped herself as she saw Bloom's red hair over her face; she was clearly crying. Flora walked up to her roommate and stared at her. "Sweetie, what's happened to you?"

"Ms. Faragonda just told me everything," Bloom sniffed. "It - it's horrible."

"What happened?" Stella demanded, sitting her friend down.

"She told me more about Valtor," Bloom sobbed. "He's more than just my uncle – he's one of the deadliest enemies the Company of Light ever faced. And... he – he" – She put her hands over her face.

"Go on," said Layla gently.

"He's going to come after me," Bloom cried. "We're mortal enemies. And – I won't be able to fight him, girls. I'll never get my Enchantix! The entire Magical Dimension is going to fall, and it'll be all my fault!"

"So what?" Tecna snapped suddenly. "So what if you don't defeat him? He's going to win anyways! And it doesn't matter whether it's you or someone else."

Musa turned around slowly. "Have you gone insane?"

"Maybe I have," Tecna snarled, "because I am sick of hearing about everyone's problems! First you with your stupid arranged marriage" – she pointed to Layla – "then you with your precious Domino!"

"I don't know what's with you!" Bloom grounded her teeth in fury. "You're being totally unsupportive right now, Tecna!"

"Yeah," Stella added. "And that's totally not cool. Friends don't diss friends like that."

"Maybe you should all just stop loading your emotional baggage on everyone!" Tecna snapped back. "I may have problems, but I don't load them on people!"

"Aha!" said Musa suddenly. "So there _is_ a problem!"

Tecna said nothing. All she did was get up and slam the door to her room, throwing herself facedown on her bed. But the accusing glares of her friends burned into her head all night, and she just couldn't do sets for Vasiliev. She was asleep by the time Musa opened the door.

* * *

**Yeah, that was intense. I feel bad for Tecna now – I've put her through a lot! Now her friends are angry with her, too.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- The second semester starts at Alfea.**

**\- Flora tries to console Tecna.**

**\- An important Linphean holiday arrives.**

**See you all next week!**


	18. Semester 2

_Alfea College for Fairies_

**SEMESTER II**

* * *

Departments of Curricula:

Practical Magic (PM) – classes focusing on the prime aspect of fairy-magic, such as spellcasting. _Head:_ Professor Palladium

Defense Magic (DM) – classes focusing on the defensive aspect of fairy-magic, such as battle. _Head:_ Professor Griselda

Physical Magic (FM) – classes focusing on the physical aspect of fairy-magic, such as flight. _Head:_ Professor DuFour

Creative Magic (CM) – classes focusing on the creative aspect of fairy-magic, such as potions or art. _Head:_ Professor Chika

Theoretical Magic (TM) – classes focusing on theoretical aspect of fairy-magic, such as history or philosophy. _Head:_ Professor Patel

Applied Magic (AM) – classes focusing on other applications of fairy-magic, such as convergence or healing. _Head:_ Professor Aditi

* * *

Graduation-Requirements:

All students are required to take four classes per semester. Freshmen must take a semester of Spellbound and Aeroflynamics, and sophomores must take a semester of Convergence. Each class is 5 credits.

To graduate, a student must have at least 10 credits each in all departments and at least 5 credits in Spellbound, Aeroflynamics, and Convergence. There must be a minimum of 120 class-credits to graduate.

In addition, there are three components, one component corresponding to each year: Courage, Character, and Sacrifice. Each category is worth 10 points, and students will be ranked based off of how well they demonstrated each virtue.

In total, 135 credits are needed to graduate.

* * *

**Name:** Andros, Layla Amina Fatima

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Kingdom of Andros

_Chika_ – Enchanted Charms (PM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

_Codatorta _– *Introductory Dueling (RF) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 10:00-11:30

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_Patel_ – Advanced History of Magic (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 17:00-19:00

_*Note: class offered by Red Fountain._

* * *

**Name:** Fernández, Flora

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Queendom of Linphea

_Aditi_ – Nature Spells (AM) – Tues, Thurs, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_Patel_ – Advanced History of Magic (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 17:00-19:00

* * *

**Name:** Ivanova, Anastasia Marie

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The People's Republic of Zenith

_Chika _– Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Chika_ – Enchanted Charms (PM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

* * *

**Name:** Nakamura, Mirta Fujin

**Year:** 1

**Realm:** The Warlocks' Realm of Whisperia

_Krishnan_ – *Aviation (RF) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 10:00-11:30

_Palladium _– Introductory Battle (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_Patel _– **Advanced Astronomy (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 20:00-22:00

_Wizkiz _– Introductory Metamorphosis (AM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 15:30-17:00

_*Note: class offered by Red Fountain_

_**Note: placed out of Introductory and Intermediate Astronomy._

* * *

**Name:** Peters, Bloom

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** Earth

_Chika _– Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Codatorta – _*Dragon Wrangling (RF) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 8:00-9:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

* * *

**Name:** Solaria, Stella Lucia Calisto

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Kingdom of Solaria

_Barbatea _– Magic in Art (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_Chika_ – Enchanted Charms (PM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 14:00-15:30

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_Patel_ – Advanced History of Magic (TM) – Tues & Thurs; 17:00-19:00

* * *

**Name:** Xi, Musa Lei

**Year:** 3

**Realm:** The Realm of Melody

_Agarwal _– *Introductory Hoverbiking (RF) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 10:30-12:00

_Chika _– Advanced Potions (CM) – Tues, Thurs, Sat; 11:00-12:30

_DuFour _– Advanced Aeroflynamics (FM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 12:30-14:00

_Griselda _– Advanced Battle Convergence (DM) – Mon, Wed, Fri; 8:00-9:30

_*Note: class offered by Red Fountain._


	19. Chapter 17: El Día del Amor

**Hey everyone! It's the first day of sun in a week. Where I live, it's really nice outside. I hope you all get the chance to go out (unless you're in lockdown, of course).**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_A sudden rumble made everyone stop in their tracks. King Radius stared at everyone, his eyes wide._**

**_Then rain began to fall._**

**_Stella's dress burst open at the seams. Her skin color changed from tan to green, and she let out an agonizing yell._**

**_"My daughter!" cried King Radius, reeling in pain. "What is going on?"_**

**_Countess Cassandra stepped up and glared down at Stella._**

**_"This is not your daughter," she announced. "Guards, take it into custody immediately!"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Look, Professor, all we want to do is defend our school," Flora said weakly. "We need to know what's going on."_**

**_"I can't let you," Avalon answered. "These aren't my rules."_**

**_"But don't you remember being trapped in Shadowhaunt?" Flora pressed on. "Didn't you feel helpless, as if you couldn't do anything? Well, that's how we feel right now. We need to save Alfea!"_**

**_Something in Avalon's gaze shifted. He stared at her, and she held his gaze firm. He finally nodded._**

**_"Alright, I will tell you," he said. "I believe you are more mature than the other girls. But I don't want you telling anyone else."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Bloom looked at the Teen Fairy questionnaire. "Er, this question is really weird" –_**

**_"What is it?" Musa asked._**

**_"If you were alone with a really pretty girl and she said she like liked you, would you a) start to sweat nervously, b) reciprocate her feelings, or c) run out the room?"_**

**_For a moment, there was silence. Flora stared around awkwardly, and the other girls looked startled._**

**_Finally, Stella spoke. "Um… 'c' all the way? How awkward is that?"_**

**_"It's not that weird," Musa said. "There're gay men in my hometown. Although, in that situation… I'd definitely vote 'a'."_**

**_"My parents have gay friends," Bloom said. "But I'm with Musa on this. It'd be totally weird if another girl had the hots for me."_**

**_"It's just… wrong." Layla sat down, her arms crossed. "About a few centuries ago, there was a prince in the Androsian royal family who announced on interrealm television that he was gonna marry another man. Let's just say it didn't go well. Why would anyone have feelings for someone of the same gender?"_**

**_"How weird would it be if someone was like that at Alfea?" Stella asked._**

* * *

CHAPTER 17: EL DÍA DEL AMOR

"It's pleasant out here, isn't it?" Flora's mother asked her as they sat down on the porch steps.

It was now fall break. After exams, students received a break from school, going home to spend time with their families. Musa had gone to Andros with Layla, making up for their missed time together in the spring. It was usually four weeks, but the schools had decided to change it to only two weeks, so that Alfea and Red Fountain would start their second semester earlier. Cloud Tower was still under Valtor's control, and though the UR was trying to free the witches, they hadn't succeeded.

Flora sighed. A few weeks before, the UR had managed to free some of the witches from Cloud Tower, with Lucy's help – they'd all been sent home. But most of the girls were still trapped in the school. Their parents were fighting, saying that the UR wasn't doing enough to free their daughters, simply because they were witches. If Alfea or Red Fountain had come under the same siege, they reasoned, the students would be freed in seconds.

"Flora, what's going on?" her mother asked in concern.

"Sorry, Mamá," Flora responded. "I'm just worried about a lot of things. The safety of the Magical Dimension is at stake. And we're facing a lot of trouble at Alfea as well. What are we going to do?"

Her mother reached for her hand.

"I know it's hard, Flora," she said, "but you will be able to prevail. I believe that everything happens for a reason. They chose you for that school because they knew you'd be able to help the world, and you already have. Have faith in yourself. Just trust that, no matter what, you _will _defeat Valtor."

"Okay," Flora said uncertainly, only slightly soothed. Mamá sighed.

"I am a priestess," she said, "and there is only so much I can tell you, Flora. But I believe in you. Just trust in your friends, your teachers, and your school. You will get through this."

_I don't know_, Flora thought. The truth was, she was too worried about her friends to be able to trust in them. _We'll have to get through this. _She leaned heavily back against the steps.

They sat silently together, the breeze rustling past the Linphean trees. The cool wind soothed Flora's heart, and she closed her eyes, allowing her mother's wisdom to seep in. The birds chirped gently, a soothing lullaby to Flora's fears.

What Flora didn't know was that this break would be the last time she saw her family in a long time. Her troubles weren't ending – in fact, they were only about to begin.

* * *

The second semester started amicably enough, autumn well on its way. The Winx girls returned back to Alfea, spending every weekend enjoying the cooler weather. That was, the weekends they could. Enchantix training was much more intense than Winx or Charmix, and Flora struggled initially to master the moves Faragonda taught her.

Before their dismissal home, Faragonda had announced that they were opening classes for Alfea sophomores and seniors at Red Fountain. The girls could take a course in Dueling, Dragon Wrangling, Hoverbiking, or Aviation. The girls observed the class-lists with interest.

"Kicking a boy's butt with a sword would be totally fun," Layla said, signing up for Dueling.

"I've always wondered how it'd be to ride that Hoverbike," added Musa.

"I'd love to fly those spaceships on missions," Mirta grinned.

"And I'd really like to take a class in taming dragons!" Bloom said cheerfully. "It'd probably get me more in-tune with my powers. I mean, I am the fairy of the Dragon Fire, after all."

Flora had no time to take these classes; since she was the last fairy of the first semester to join Enchantix training, she was struggling to catch up with her friends. Stella claimed she would lose time with her snookums, but Flora knew that was only part of the reason why. Stella needed to focus solely on her Alfea coursework so she could graduate. Although she'd passed her final exam by gaining her Enchantix, Alfea seniors still needed to get a passing score in each of their classes to graduate.

But no one was in more jeopardy than Tecna. She was banned from leaving campus, and was under academic probation in all of her classes. Obviously this meant she couldn't take a Red Fountain class, but that was the least of her problems. Flora was the only Winx girl she would even talk to.

"Here," she had said, passing Tecna some herbal tea, "drink it."

Tecna said nothing, though a glimmer of gratitude shined in her face. She lay down on her bed, a dull ache in her eyes. Heart filled with sorrow, Flora sat down next to her best friend.

"I wish you would tell us what's going on," she said softly.

"I can't," Tecna whispered. Her naturally white face was even paler than normal. "If I could, Flora, I would. But it's just too much."

"Then let it out," Flora insisted.

"No," Tecna said weakly. That was all she said. She turned around in the bed, closing her eyes, and Flora could press the issue no further.

She left Tecna's room, sighing as she walked to her dorm. And then her phone rang. She picked it up, and Mirta's face appeared as a hologram above the screen.

"Mirta!" Flora breathed. They hadn't seen much of each other lately; what with Flora's Enchantix training and Mirta's Aviation class at Red Fountain, there had been no time to go out together.

"Do you remember what day it is today?"

"What is it?" Flora rubbed her eyes, trying to remember. _What with everything going on..._

"_Día del Amor_!"

Flora shot her head up. Today was a special Linphean holiday that fell in the autumn, celebrated by couples who professed their love to one another. It always fell on the first Thursday of Decemensis. She gasped out loud.

"I'm so sorry, I totally forgot!"

"Not to worry!" Mirta grinned. "Just meet me at the grove near Lake Roccaluce."

"What for?" Flora asked.

"I've got a surprise for you."

* * *

The winds rustled as Flora made her way through the quad. She wore a short, sprigged rose-and-buttercup dress with yellow autumn leaves in her hair. Her feet were bare as she walked into the forest, laughing at the soft, squishy feel of the earth beneath her.

_This is beautiful_, she thought. A quiet, relaxed day with her girlfriend. Linphèana knew she needed one, especially after all that had happened.

She reached the grove, which was empty. _Guess Mirta hasn't arrived here yet._ She sat down on the grass, leaning back and stretching contentedly.

And then she froze as she heard a voice.

Flora sat up, grass sticking onto her skirt. She dusted herself quickly, standing up - but not fast enough. Bloom, Stella, Musa, and Layla appeared, and stopped as soon as they saw her standing there awkwardly, staring in surprise.

"Hey, Flo, where'd ya come from?" Musa asked.

_Where'd _you_ come from?_ Flora thought, her mind racing. _This wasn't supposed to happen. Mirta and I are supposed to spend time by ourselves!_

"Hey, what's with the dress?" Stella had caught Flora's dress, and was admiring the cut and the shape.

Flora shrank back, but Stella was in no rush. She laughed triumphantly.

"I knew it!" she laughed. "You're finally going out with a boy!"

"Stella!" Bloom and Musa called out.

"So?" Stella goaded. "Who is he? Tall? Handsome? Is he brave and strong, or is he a total nerd?"

Flora winced. _I should text Mirta and tell her not to meet me here... _But there was no way for her to text without Stella prying the phone out of her hands.

"Or maybe he's quiet and reflective, like you!" Stella continued on. "I'm assuming an artist, 'cause come on, you totally dig that stuff. Just give me his number and I'll make sure he treats you like a princess" –

"Stella," said Layla, quietly. "We came out here to talk about important stuff, not some stupid boy."

"Oh, sorry," Stella jumped up, remembering. "Flora, why don't you be a darling and join us? You're good at helping with this stuff."

How could Flora say no? She sighed, nodding as they walked towards the lake.

"These past few weeks have just been insane," Musa said. "There're just way too many things going on – and none of them good. What with Melody's situation, Lay's engagement, the Solarian royal wedding" –

"We have to do something!" Stella cried immediately. "I can't believe Countess Cassandra hasn't been evicted by now! I was hoping the situation would resolve itself, but look at what's happened! She is such a scumbag!"

"You were there over break, right?" Layla asked. "Weren't you able to spy on her? If you collected some intel, then we can figure something out."

"I _was _going to go home," Stella complained, "but then Chimera and I got into this huge fight on the phone. I told her she'd better not get in my way, and she got her dear mommy to scream at me for three hours. Daddy told me it'd be better to just stay at Mom's place in Lunaria, so that I wouldn't get into trouble." She buried her face in her hands.

"Well, it looks like we've got some weddings to crash," Musa declared. "We've just gotta figure out how to expose Crooked Countess, and then we're all set."

They reached the lakefront, gazing into the surface of Lake Roccaluce. Bloom knelt down, placing her hands into the water and soaking in its energy.

"This lake always calms me," she said. "I mean, this is where Daphne's spirit resides, after she was cursed. And it's where I got the Dragon Fire back."

Flora nodded absentmindedly, thinking quietly to herself, _Mirta, Mirta, Mirta..._

"I mean, Daphne was so brave," Bloom said, a tear dripping into the lake. "She sacrificed herself to save me from the Ancestral Witches. I'd like to think I'm as brave as her, but I don't know that I am."

Flora felt a wave of pity overcome her. She reached for Bloom's hand.

"It'll be all right, sweetie; trust me," she said. "I know you'll be able to face him. Even though you've both got the Dragon's Flame, which means your fates will be tied, you'll still be able to stand up against him."

Bloom recoiled as if Flora's touch was made of lightning.

"What?" asked Flora, startled. "What did I say?"

"You said the exact same thing Faragonda told me," Bloom gasped. "How did you know he has the Dragon Fire?"

"I" – Flora stared around helplessly as the other girls cast her confused looks. "Well" –

She scanned her brain frantically, trying to think of an excuse. But she realized very quickly there was no way around the truth. _I have to tell them._ She sighed.

"A few months ago, I was in the library at the middle of the night," she admitted. "I tried to break in, but then… Avalon caught me. He was about to turn me in, but I convinced him to tell me the truth, and he told me about Bloom's fate being entwined with Valtor's."

"You mean you knew about this the whole time and didn't tell any of us?" Bloom gasped.

"Avalon made me swear to keep it a secret, I wasn't allowed to tell anyone" –

"You knew all this time and didn't tell us." This time Layla didn't even bother to phrase it as a question.

Flora stared at her friends hopelessly. She wished, with all her heart, that she could just retrace her steps and go back on what she'd said. But it was far too late. "I" –

"Flora, the best girlfriend in the world!" Mirta came running towards her, wearing a neon red jumpsuit and a pot of _flores del iris_ in her hands. "Surprise! I'm sorry these flowers haven't budded yet, but I really wanted to surprise you and" –

She stopped as she saw the four other Winx girls standing behind Flora, their arms crossed. Mirta's eyes went wide, and she backed down, her arms trembling.

"Seems like you've been keeping a lot of things from us," Layla said flatly.

Flora stared at her friends' gazes, all of which had gone from supportive to grim in two seconds. _What just happened?_ Finally, it was Stella who spoke.

"How long have you been dating Mirta?"

Flora swallowed. "For about eight months now."

"And you didn't tell us?" Bloom asked. "Why would you keep such a thing from us?"

"I" – In the corner of her eyes, Flora saw Mirta backing up slowly, her eyes downcast and terrified. "I thought – I thought you'd think differently about me. That you'd stop wanting to be seen with me after finding out I was gay."

Now Layla exploded. Flora shrank back as the dark-haired girl glared at her, rage in her eyes.

"You thought we wouldn't want to be seen with you anymore? Flora, how could you be such a horrible judge of character? How could you ever think we'd react with anything but love and compassion?"

"How can you expect us to trust you if you can't trust us?" Musa added.

With a sinking feeling, Flora stared at the other girls.

"I'm sorry"… she said weakly.

"Clearly not sorry enough." Stella's voice cut through the air like stone.

Flora turned towards Mirta, who was standing with a frozen, horrified expression on her face.

"We should go," she said quietly, putting her arm around Mirta. The two walked silently away from the grove.

* * *

"I can't believe I didn't let you tell your friends," Mirta sobbed.

"It's okay," Flora said quietly. "It's not your fault. I didn't want to tell them, too."

They were in Mirta's dorm. The two girls were crying, sniffing as the insufferably cheerful sun shined in the sky. Flora put her arms around Mirta and rocked her quietly, closing her eyes.

"How could this have gone so wrong?" Mirta whispered.

Flora didn't know. She sighed and turned towards Mirta, lowering her head.

"On Stella's birthday in Sextmensis," she said, "we were doing a Teen Fairy Quiz. We came across this question about lesbian girls, and the other girls' reactions were, well" –

"What?" Mirta asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

"They were shocked," Flora whispered. "Musa and Bloom were okay, but Stella and Layla – you should've seen the looks on their faces. They were horrified."

"Is this – us – really that bad?" Mirta whispered. "How could they do this to us?"

"There's nothing wrong with who we are," Flora answered. "But they've grown up in such different environments – they wouldn't understand" – But deep down, she knew that wasn't true; Layla's words still rang through her head. _How could you ever think we'd react with anything but love and compassion?_

_How _could _I have? _After all, they'd all avoided warlocks like the plague in the beginning of their freshman year, but by the end, they had become allies. The Winx had even been supportive of Mirta's transformation, something they never would've supported a few months before the war. And they'd been through so much together in the past three years, too. _How could I be so stupid to think their views were set in stone? _Now they would never want to speak to her again.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with us, either," Mirta answered. "But what are we going to do?"

"I don't know," Flora answered. "I just don't know."

* * *

That Monday, Flora was roused awake by Griselda's sharp knock on her door. She jumped up, startled, as the deputy headmistress glared at her. "Come with me, young lady."

_What?_ Flora rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and stared around. It was then she realized that Bloom was not in the bed next to her.

She walked with Griselda to Faragonda's office, and was sat down in a chair. Griselda stood behind her, her hot breath on her neck. Faragonda frowned.

"Flora, I want you to explain this to me." She turned on a switch on her desk, and a projected image appeared on the wall. Flora stared at it in confusion as the screen turned on, showing that morning's Triple M news on the screen.

BREAKING NEWS: COUNTESS CASSANDRA AND DAUGHTER REVEALED AS TRAITORS, the headline read. PRINCESS STELLA AND FRIENDS CRASH WEDDING, RECLAIM THRONE.

Below that was an image of Stella, Bloom, Musa, and Layla, each wearing an identical black suit with an orange, blue, red, or green stripe on the side, respectively. They were all wearing biker helmets and waving at the camera. Flora stared at the screen in stunned horror. _They defeated Cassandra? And... without telling me? Without bringing me along?_

Then she realized. _Yesterday was the wedding… _Today was Decemensis 7, and the other Winx had left campus the evening before, claiming they'd be back by night. Flora, worn out from Enchantix training, had crashed at nineteen o'clock, without any clue as to where they'd gone.

"So," Griselda said, her eyes flashing, "can you tell us exactly what is going on?"

Flora stared at her, a million emotions going through her head right now. To name the least, hurt and sadness. Hurt because her friends had cast their closeness away so quickly, and sadness because she knew it was absolutely her fault.

"Although neither you nor Tecna went to Solaria without our permission, we know you are all close friends," Faragonda continued on. "Tecna is in a realm of trouble on her own, so we find it hard to believe she stayed back merely to cover-up. So tell us the truth, Flora. It will be easier that way."

Flora thought about how strong their bond used to be, how the girls had stood together against the world, against all odds. How close they'd all been, before Tecna had decided to revert back to her old aloof self, before Valtor. He was too good at ripping people apart, destroying friendships and breaking alliances to get what he wanted. And she wouldn't let him.

"Yes," she said, "I knew."

* * *

Their punishment was to scrub the entire school, all throughout the night – without magic. Kind of a throwback to freshman year, except none of them were as close as they'd been before. Whereas their cleaning party in freshman year had been the dawn of their relationship, this was a dusk, nightfall well on its way.

Musa tried turning on music, but no one was in the spirit. Stella and Layla ended up squabbling over which mop to use, which left Bloom, Flora, and Musa to do all the work. They went to bed at five in the morning, irritated with each other and completely exhausted.

_What's happened to us?_ thought Flora, lying facedown on her bed. _Why can't we trust each other anymore like we used to?_ Misery shot through her, and she thought, _Why did I mess everything up?_

She knew she should've been open with them from the start. But she hadn't been – she hadn't learned anything from her time at the Resort Realm. They'd all been squabbling with each other back then, too – but that was mainly from stress, not because they had a deep reason to mistrust each other.

But Flora had planted the seeds of distrust. She'd sowed them all this time, without knowing, and now the roots were too deep to be pulled out. _I can't believe this… _She stared hopelessly out the window.

And she had no one to blame but herself.

* * *

**Wow, this situation sucks. What are your thoughts about this? What do you think about the Winx's reactions, how Flora reacted? Things are not going good.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Melody declares a state-of-emergency.**

**\- Tecna sneaks out to see Vasiliev.**

**\- Vasiliev gives Tecna an ultimatum.**

**I hope to see you soon! Please, let me know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 18: Ultimatum

**Hello, everyone! This is a short chapter today, but an important one nonetheless. Hope you enjoy!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Musa let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't go back home for break."_**

**_"_****_Musa, I'm so sorry," gasped Layla. "How bad is the situation?"_**

**_"_****_It's taken interrealm media attention," Musa answered. "The portal's become like a tornado. The news-crews and UR Defense forces have been banned from entry, now that two hooligan criminals snuck onto a ship and are jammin' up Summa. It's gotten so bad that a radical sect has gained traction, claiming we should relocate to another planet."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"What are you doing here?" Tecna gasped. How had Vasiliev followed her all the way to Magix?_**

**_"I wouldn't be worried about me," the man smiled. "I just saw you walking with that boy. Quite the rebel, aren't you?"_**

**_Tecna's mouth fell open. _****Oh no oh no oh no oh no…**

**_"I know you haven't been spending enough time on my lab work, Tecna," he added. "You have barely finished two hundred sets. I came here to give you some coaxing so you remember what comes first."_**

**_"I'm sorry," Tecna gasped, her eyes wide. "I" –_**

**_"You will finish six hundred sets tonight," Vasiliev responded. "If you are not done by morning, I will inform your parents about your boyfriend, and they will withdraw you from Alfea."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 18: ULTIMATUM

It was late at night. Tecna worked hard on her sets, finishing the six-hundred-and-twenty thousandth set on her laptop. _I'm done… _She was about to close her eyes briefly, setting a timer for a two-minute nap, when suddenly, red words flashed across her vision.

BREAKING NEWS: KING OF MELODY DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY, ORDERS CITIZENS TO EVACUTE TO MELODIAN OUTPOSTS.

"_What_?" Tecna gasped out loud.

She pulled the article up on her internal screen, scanning through it. But she found no information of importance. Apparently the portal – or tornado, as it was now being called – had gotten so out-of-hand that people were being temporarily evacuated to Melody's exo-planets. _How in the realms are they going to build enough shelters there? _How were they sending _all _11.6 million Melodians off the planet? And more importantly, _why_?

_Have they caved to the radical citizens' demands? _She remembered Musa saying something about it. _No, that can't be it…_ She scrolled to the bottom of the article, but the closest thing she found to information was: _King Jun has refused to respond to a request for comment._

_I guess I'm never going to figure out why. _Frustrated, she sat back and placed her head on her desk, knowing she had far more problems than whatever was going on in Melody. Her head ached, and she had shed two kilos just in the past month.

She wished she wasn't like this. She wished more than anything else that she could let herself loose, dancing with Timmy and spending time with her friends like before. But it was no longer possible.

"Tecna, listen to me!" Timmy had phoned her, desperately. "You need to stop doing so much work. It's taking over your life!"

"No," Tecna said, warily. "I forbid you to tell anyone."

"Tecna," Timmy whispered, "You won't survive like this. Please listen to me! You're going to" –

"No!" Tecna shouted. "I can't have anyone know! That would be the end of me, and you know it! Vasiliev's too dangerous!"

There was a silence. Then on the other line, Timmy whispered, "Tecna, is there something you're not telling me?"

Tecna didn't answer. _He can't know… _She drew in a shallow, gasping breath at the memory.

"I have to go," she said, and then she hung up.

She still hadn't caught up with her work for any of her classes. Her teachers were in absolute despair; no one could get through to her or speak to her about what was going on. The other Winx girls had finally given up on getting her to "care for herself", whatever that meant - as with Flora, they were angry at her too for not showing any interest in their problems.

_When was the last time we were like this? _Tecna thought in dismay. _When was the last time things were ever this horrible? _

She could only remember one time as debilitating as this, and that was when they were in Faragonda's office after attacking Avalon. She remembered how angry everyone had been, how furious she was that no one was listening to her side…

"I know you're upset, Headmistress," she said, "but I stand by my actions!" Much of the staff had convened in front of them; she saw Griselda's disgusted look, Palladium's worried face, Faragonda's angry eyes, Avalon's vehement disapproval, and Wizkiz's uncomfortable expression. "The book described everything exactly right. Professor Avalon taught in the realm of Frost right before it was destroyed! His wings were exactly the same shape and color, and he promises everyone he can make her dreams come true! Coincidence? I think not!"

"All right," said Faragonda, holding her hands in the air. "Now let's see what Professor Avalon has to say."

"There are ten-thousand fairy-men with the same wings I have," Avalon said. "I use them when I need to, when I'm being _chased_, for instance." The girls gasped in horror. "And when the realm of Frost was destroyed, it's well-documented that I was a visiting professor at Summa University."

The other girls had backed down, but Tecna wasn't about to give up. "Well then, how do you explain that you appeared at multiple places at the same time?"

"Er – that was all my doing, Tecna," Wizkiz said awkwardly. "Remember my new invention? The Magical Multiplier?" He took out a jug-shaped item, cranking the handle. "I was doing an experiment to see what would happen if I created realistic-looking holograms of the professors on campus! Like _this_!" A dozen Faragondas appeared right behind them, all with disapproving expressions on their faces. The girls stared around at each other, completely shocked.

"More than one headmistress?" Stella blurted out. "What a nightmare!"

Flora cast her a glare. "Stella!"

"Something's wrong with it!" Wizkiz gasped. "It's out of control!" The machine began to spit and hiss, sending smoke everywhere. The holograms disappeared. Eventually the machine lay broken and decrepit on the desk, and Wizkiz sighed. "Another invention up in smoke."

Musa stepped forward. "I guess we were wrong."

"We really messed up this time," Flora agreed.

"I don't understand," Tecna protested. "The flowers – the wings – the alignment of the planets – everything was in-order! Logic tells me that" –

"Tecna," Faragonda interrupted, "as hard as it may be for you to accept, you were _wrong_! Your logic was flawed, and you and your friends have a lot of damages on the second-floor corridor to pay for! Now, I believe you all owe Professor Avalon an apology."

Tecna sighed, lowering her head. She had never felt so miserable as this, never so defeated and sullen. She took a deep breath.

"We're sorry, Professor Avalon," the five girls said in unison.

_I was wrong that day_, Tecna thought. _Well, I was right about Avalon, but I was wrong about everything else. I can't believe it. _She let out a sigh. _And now, I've still got things just as wrong as ever._

She stared at herself in the mirror. Her skin was whiter than chalk, and her black-rimmed eyes were no longer concealable by potion. Sickness marred every feature of her body.

_I'm not who I once was_, she realized. _I'm not the girl I was a year ago. _She lowered her gaze.

_It's just a dream_, she told herself desperately. _Please, tell me everything had just been a dream. That I'll wake up in the morning tomorrow, and none of this will have ever happened. I'll never have met the Winx, and I'll be back at home, being the good, proper girl I've always been._

Except it wasn't a dream – Tecna knew that better than anyone. And so did Mr. Vasiliev.

She had to meet with him that night and sneak out of the dorm. She was taking a big risk now - after all, she wasn't allowed under any circumstances to leave Alfea. But she knew she had no choice. Taking in a sigh, she walked out of her dorm and headed down to the floor.

_Here it goes_. Closing her eyes, she focused a wave of her techno-magic, some that would breach the Alfea barrier. Opening a small hole, she darted out of the barrier and into the night.

But she wasn't alone.

"I know you're out there," Digit's sharp voice filled the cold night air.

Tecna turned around and saw Digit flying towards her, her eyes wary and narrowed. She took a nervous step back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to stall for time.

"Don't lie to me, Tecna," Digit snapped. "I know you're going out now. In fact, I've seen you with that creep before. What are you doing with him?"

"Nothing," Tecna said feebly, but Digit growled.

"You come back right now, Tecna, or I swear I'll tell Ms. Faragonda."

"You don't even know what's going on," Tecna said, waves of anger coming over her. "Stay out of this, Digit. It's for me to deal with."

"I bet I know what's going on!" Digit gasped. "You're cheating with him on Timmy!"

"What?" If Tecna had thought she was angry before, this doubled it. She glared at Digit. "How dare you say that?"

"Well, what else explanation is there?" Digit snorted. "You've been so aloof with me and the other Winx lately. You haven't spoken to anyone but Flora in the past month, and maybe once in a while you see Timmy."

"I would never do that to Timmy," Tecna cried. "I love him."

"Well, I've never heard you tell _him_ that!"

That was it. Tecna glared at the pixie, and sent all of her energy at her.

"Digital cage!"

Digit screamed as a World Wide Web appeared around her, slamming her against the barrier. Tecna stared at her, helplessness in her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, and ran off. The spell would wear off in fifteen minutes, but she had to hurry, for Digit would no doubt go and tell.

She slowed her gait as she reached the grove. _It's so cold… when did it get this cold?_ Vasiliev, wearing a purple overcoat, walked towards her, his eyes glinting, "Good to see you," he said sardonically, holding out his hand. "Let me see what you've done."

Tecna showed him her laptop, and he scanned over her work.

"This could hardly be called a set," he said smoothly. "You made multiple errors here. Look." He pointed to the screen.

Tecna stared in horror. _Oh no..._ Her arithmetic had been all off, which had caused the algorithm to fail, and therefore all subsequent algorithms after that. Vasiliev flipped through the rest of the week's work.

"This is all filled with mistakes," he announced. "This is not engineering. This is childish nonsense."

"I'm sorry," Tecna whispered.

"You are a disgrace," Vasiliev said disgustedly. "You useless piece of trash. I should never have saved you and made you a cyborg. I should've just left you in the hover crash, so you could meet the fate you deserved."

Tecna's heart nearly stopped at that statement. _He's right, he's right..._ She fought against crying as she remembered the hover crash, how terrified she'd been back then. How the hover, due to a programming error, had hit rock and stone. She could hear the screams of the passengers beside her, and then silence.

Everything had happened so fast then, she hadn't been able to process it. But she'd always wondered why she had been chosen, out of all of them, to survive. Not a single of the others survived, but she alone had lived. And she didn't deserve a single bit of it. _I am a failure..._

"For that, there must be consequences."

Tecna's eyes snapped up as Vasiliev stood over her. _He was close, too close..._ Her heart beat as he spoke.

"You will no longer see your precious boyfriend," he said.

The lump that had formed in Tecna's throat now exploded. "What do you mean?"

"He has been taking away from your work," Vasiliev said icily. "You are no longer to see that useless boy."

A million thoughts swarmed through her head, not the least defeat. If Vasiliev said she couldn't see Timmy, she could no longer see him. Vasiliev would see if she was going with him; he knew everything about her. He had her controls, after all.

"And if you see him, then we'll have to see if he can live or not."

Tecna's eyes snapped up, and she stared at him in alarm. "No."

"Yes," he answered coldly. "As soon as you see him, his heart will stop."

"No!" Tecna cried out. "You can't!"

Vasiliev laughed. "Oh, I most certainly can," he said. "You have no way of stopping me."

_No..._ Rage built up in Tecna. Without quite meaning to, she slammed her magic into Vasiliev, throwing him to the ground.

He was not prepared for this, and fell. In horror, Tecna realized what she had just done, and bowed down. "No"... she whispered.

Above her, she heard Vasiliev hiss in her head, "Don't you dare ever try that again. I have the controls with me right now: I can kill you right now." He sent a jolt through her body.

It was the worst sensation she'd ever felt, worse than any of the other times he'd ever done this to her. She screamed out and collapsed in his arms, and he smirked sardonically.

"Cute," he smirked. "Interesting how you can love, when it has been scientifically proven to be impossible."

He released her, and she drew back in fear. Vasiliev smiled, his unnaturally straight teeth glinting.

"Do you know why I do this, Tecna?" he asked.

She stared up at him in surprise; this was one of the first times she'd ever heard him refer to her by her actual name. "N-no," she choked out.

"Control is everything," Vasiliev said, and for a moment, his eyes positively gleamed. "Control is what brought our ancestors to where they are now. Control makes us stronger. And… absolutely glorious."

This _is what you call glorious? _Tecna wanted to shout. _Look at me! I have no _life_! _As if hearing her words, Vasiliev laughed.

"It is control that has made me who I am today," he said. "Because of control, I have power over many, many people. And when my program comes to fruition, I will have so much control. All this time, you've been my test subject, my little experiment to see what happens when I have control."

Tecna stared weakly up at him, but Vasiliev didn't elaborate more on the subject. He smiled.

"As an ancestor of ours once said," he whispered, "'Control is the essence of chaos.'"

Tecna had no idea what he was talking about. _That's completely illogical! Control _prevents _chaos! _How did this make any sense?

She'd never seen him like this before. For the first time, she began to wonder what she was mixed up in, what she was creating by writing all that code. _It doesn't matter… because once it's finished, this'll all be over. _Vasiliev smiled, his teeth glinting.

"Goodbye," he said. With a formal bow, he disappeared, leaving Tecna to stare after the man who so controlled her life.

_I'm an idiot_, she thought. _I'm such a disgusting, horrible loser. No wonder everything's been going so wrong._

She wasn't going to survive out of this, and she knew it. She closed her eyes.

_Please, please let this end. _Her feed was unusually quiet, allowing her an odd semblance peace as she stared at the ground.

_Let me suffer no more…_

* * *

**So what did you all think about this? Is Tecna going to be able to stand up against Vasiliev? What does this bode for hers and Timmy's future?**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Flora receives an urgent call from her father.**

**\- Flora talks to Tecna, reminiscing on their convergence test last year.**

**I've gotten some questions about the dub I'm following, so I just want to address them here. I mainly use Cinélume names of realms and characters, just because they seem more organic than the Americanized names 4Kids used. However, I really like the way the characters speak in 4Kids, so I make their lines reflect that. I imagine the 4Kids actresses' voices in their lines, so I think of that as I write. The dialogue itself is a mix of 4Kids, Cinélume, and my own writing; whatever lines worked the best, I put in.**

**So that's it for now! See you Wednesday!**


	21. Chapter 19: Eve of a War

**Hello, everyone! How are you all doing today? I hope you're ready for the next chapter!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"In 730 of the Age of Blood," said Abuela, "Zenith staged the Linphean Invasion, killing a sixth of Linphea's population. The priestly families were attacked the most, as they were the largest group of intellectuals. And we could do nothing about it, for without our trees, we were completely powerless to fight back."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"I've been thinking about what Abuela said about Zenith," Flora said to Mirta. "Even after all it's faced, Linphea has been going on a steady trajectory upwards. But Zenith… it's never recovered from its problems."_**

**_ "_****_That's because of its current system of government," Mirta answered. "In Zenith – there's complete censorship, complete lack of freedom. Nothing matter except how many robots they produce."_**

**_"That's so true," Flora agreed – she'd never thought of it that way. "And the people there are so robotic too. Sometimes I worry so much about Tecna, because she's just so closed from the rest of us. Even after all these years, she still can't fully express herself."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora smiled at Tecna. "Well, whatever's going on with our respective nations, I'm glad it hasn't come between us."_**

**_And, like last time, Tecna found herself smiling back. In that moment, an incredible wave of relief came over her, relief that Flora didn't hold her realm's actions against her. Only one question remained: would their friendship hold through the test of time?_**

* * *

CHAPTER 19: EVE OF A WAR

Another week passed. Bloom, Stella, Musa, and Layla continued to avoid Flora, no longer inviting her to hang out. She no longer ate in the dining-hall with them; instead, she, Mirta, and Chatta sat together at their own table. The other girls, jobless as they were, were quick to notice, particularly the freshmen and sophomores.

"Of course they ditched you," Eris had jeered to Mirta while they were sitting alone, at a small table. "No one would want to hang out with a _witch_. I'm telling you, it was only a matter of time."

"Leave them alone!" Chatta snapped, glaring at the fairy. She had loyally stuck by Flora's side the whole time, even when the other girls had turned against her. "We're tired of you always getting in our face, not leaving us alone" –

"Let it go, Chatta." Mirta didn't even look up from her plate.

"What?" Chatta fired up. "If you think I'm gonna just let them push you around" –

"_Let it go_," Mirta repeated. Chatta sighed and flopped down next to Flora, picking up her own miniscule plate.

And with that, everything just became harder. There was no Musa to play them music, no Layla to spice up their lives with dance, no Stella to fall back on for her humor, no Bloom to inspire them all. They were there, but at the same time, just weren't there at all.

Now that the girls weren't talking to her**, **Flora focused all her energy on Tecna**.** She tried to speak to her, understand her more and talk to her. But there was no way to get through to her anymore. Tecna seemed adamant on her computer program, whatever that was.

_It's killing her_, Flora realized. Everything was hurting her – Alfea's coursework, the Winx's efforts to help, and whatever it was that was so important. She was just doing too much.

But that wasn't all that was about to befall the girls. Even Flora was not aware of how dire the situation had become, until one day, she received a frantic call from her father.

"Flora!" he shouted. "Have you seen the news?"

"No," Flora said, instantly on alert. Her father sounded frantic, which was very unusual – he was always playful and good-humored. "What's wrong, Papá?"

"Check it!" her father cried.

Heart pounding, Flora turned on the Magix Modern Matrix. _What could it possibly be? I mean, nothing's happened. Nothing –_

And then she stopped straight as soon as she saw the screen, her eyes wide with horror.

BREAKING NEWS: LINPHEA DECLARES WAR ON ZENITH.

"No!" Flora cried out. "I can't believe this – no!" The newscaster began to speak, his voice rapid.

"Yesterday, Zenith launched a deadly attack on a Linphean army base, on the remote planet of Apo. Zenith believes that Linphea was hiding information on the base, and Linphea declares that the attack was unprovoked."

_No_, Flora thought, her head spinning. _Not Apo… how could they do that? _Apo was the most fortified, most important military base they had. _I can't believe it… _Tears fell down her cheeks as she stared at the screen.

"Under the Treaty of Militaristic Prevention, Linphea and Zenith have both alerted all other UR realms of their status, and the other realms have declared neutrality. The UR War Intervention Council will perform a thorough investigation, to determine whether any crimes were committed."

_They won't find anything_, Flora thought frantically. Or rather, they probably _would_ find evidence against Zenith, but wouldn't release it. After all, Zenith practically ran the UR.

"It's been a terrible shock," her father continued. "The entire village is in shambles. We all gathered together last night for a vigil, and Mamá led a prayer-session this morning. I wanted to make sure you're okay, Flora."

Flora wasn't paying any attention. Queen Isabel of Linphea had appeared on screen in front of her, and she put the phone down.

The matriarch's face was somber. She wore a simple gray dress, her expression sorrowful as she gazed down at the crowd below her.

"My fellow citizens," she said, "yesterday is a day that shall forever live in infamy. On Decemensis 16, 1012, the Queendom of Linphea was suddenly yet deliberately attacked by Zenith, in a move that was clearly unprovoked. It is with great sorrow that I announce, as Queen of this country, that Linphea will go to war."

_So it's official, then_, Flora thought. _This war may not end for years… decades, even… _She closed her eyes. _My sister will have to grow up in a country torn with war… I'm so sorry, Miele…_

"Flora?" her father asked. "Are you there? Flora" –

But Flora had already tossed the phone aside. She ran into Tecna's room, her eyes wide.

"Tecna!" she shouted. _I have to talk to her… she has to know…_

She turned on the lights and stared at Tecna. The girl was lying in bed, tired but not sleeping. She looked worse than Flora had ever seen her before.

Black circles were above her eyebrows. Her skin was deathly pale, and when Flora touched her, she felt… cold. Even though the heat was on.

"Tecna"… Flora whispered.

"Go away," Tecna croaked. Her voice was barely a whisper, and she turned her head. "Your people hate me. And I don't blame you if you do, too."

"How could you even say that?" Flora cried. "Do you think I'm going to turn my back on you because of _this_? I would never – Tecna!"

The girl wasn't paying attention. She stared down at her bed, her voice listless and weak.

"I should never have come to Alfea."

"No"… Flora stared at her. "You can't mean that."

"The war is coming," Tecna said plainly. "I can't stop it. _No _one can stop it."

"I can't believe that," Flora declared. "You have to keep hope, Tecna. We can solve this."

Tecna remained silent. In distress, Flora sat down next to her friend, listening to her shallow breathing and tired sigh.

_I can't believe things are like this_, she thought. _How could everything have escalated so far out of control?_

Things were _never _like this before. In fact, the two of them had been close friends last year, even confidantes. In fact, they'd even worked together not too long ago…

"Tecna?" she asked quietly. "Do you remember our Convergence Project?"

"Yes," Tecna said blandly, her voice not betraying any interest. "I do."

"Do you remember how we took down that monster together, even when it seemed unbeatable?" Flora asked. She closed her eyes, remembering how she'd felt that day, when they'd worked together to master this skill so pivotal…

It was in class. Tecna and Flora had teamed up to work on the convergence project, which they were unsuccessful at.

"What are you doing?" asked Faragonda.

"I got a magivine," Flora explained, "which Tecna's going to control using her laptop. We're going to use that to open the box." She pointed to the blue treasure-chest in front of them.

"Nature and technology usually have a hard time working together," Faragonda said, "but go ahead."

Flora and Tecna linked hands. A swirl of green and orange energy formed around them, and they concentrated on the box in front of them. Flora focused her energy with Tecna, trying to connect it with the essence of her friend's power…

"AAH!" they screamed.

The box hadn't opened. The laptop had sent electricity through the vine, but rather than accepting the transfer of energy, the vine rebelled. It lay on the desk, limp and destroyed.

"I told you," Tecna said, glaring at Flora. "Nature and technology are too incompatible to work together."

Flora felt defeated. _But I thought we'd worked something pretty good out… _Was Tecna saying that she didn't believe in their friendship?

The rest of the convergence boxes were unsuccessful as well. Faragonda frowned and addressed the class.

"We'll be having a test tomorrow," she said, "in the Magical Simulator Room."

"_What_?" Stella gasped. "Already?"

"Sometimes convergence can only occur under extreme circumstances," Faragonda said. "You will be in groups with your closest friends. Now practice as hard as you can tonight."

Flora sighed. _I'm not too sure about this… _She felt defeated. If their magic wasn't working together in a stable environment, why would it work in an unstable one?

She glanced over at Tecna, who was stubbornly avoiding her. _Looks like she's under a lot of stress right now… _She sighed and lowered her eyes to the ground.

The next day, the girls got up bright and early to get to the Simulator Room. Palladium and Faragonda were there, giving crisp, clear instructions.

"You will find yourself in a village, on a bright summer day," Palladium said. "You will have to use magical convergence to get out. However, you cannot use any spells." He gazed at them. "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" the girls said, though not in unison. Flora saw Layla sigh and gaze at the floor.

The simulator blacked out. For a moment, the girls were staring at nothing but black, empty space. Then, the world brightened around them.

But it wasn't light. Rather, they were in a gloomy forest, mist all around them. Musa stared around.

"Where the heck are we?" she asked.

"Um, 'village? Bright summer day?' Please," Stella snorted.

Flora shivered, staring around. "Why would she send us here in these outfits?" she whispered.

"Look!" Layla was pointing to the sky. Trees dotted the landscape.

"Why does the sky look like there's a forest on it?" Stella added.

"Uhh… I think that's because it _is _a forest," Bloom said. "But… then where's the sky?"

It was then that Flora looked down and realized where they were. The ground beneath her feet was not actually _ground_, but air. And… they were suspended right above a forest.

"Look out!" Musa yelled.

Trees shot up from below them. The girls gasped as they shot right through the air, flying up straight past the trees.

And then they fell.

Flora gasped as she hit the ground, grimacing. _That hurts… What's going on?_

"This must be a system bug," Tecna declared. "There must be something wrong with the chamber's operating system!"

"Girls!" Palladium's voice sounded from the air. "I'm going to insert an exit code into the software, but I don't know what form it'll take. If you can get ahold of it, you can use it to exit the software, okay?"

"Fine!" Stella said, rolling her eyes. "Ready when _you _are!"

"Ahh!" Musa gasped, backing. Flora turned and saw, to her horror, that a monster was headed their way. "Ya might want to hurry with that exit code!"

The monster puffed up, its eyes gleaming. Its dark fur magnified.

And then it shot straight towards Stella.

"Stella!" Layla shouted. Without warning, she tackled Stella to the ground.

The monster hit a tree. Grimacing as she pulled herself up, Stella put her arm around Layla and smiled. "First convergence!"

A sphere of light shot past Flora. She gasped, staring at it. "Look!"

"That's the exit-code!" Tecna declared.

"So let's get out of – ahh!" Bloom stopped.

A hologram of a witch appeared in front of them. Flora stared as she saw Darcy's figure appear in front of them.

"Not that witch!" Layla cried.

Darcy laughed. "No exit code for you."

The hologram of Darcy turned into the monster. Without warning, it opened its jaws and swallowed the light whole.

And then it began to grow.

The girls screamed as the monster became taller and taller. They jumped back, and Bloom clenched her fists.

"Let's get it!" she declared.

The girls immediately transformed. Bloom glared at the monster, growling. "Let's get our exit-code back!"

"Sonic blast!" Musa yelled lifting the sphere in her hands and hurling it at the monster. It had absolutely no effect; if anything, it incensed the monster even more.

"Magic won't work on the monster!" Palladium shouted. "You'll have to try something else!"

"_What_?" gasped Stella.

"First of all, let's hide," Flora said, looking grimly around. "There's a tunnel right there!"

The girls flew into the tunnel. The monster let out a roar as it realized it couldn't follow the girls into the hole. It began to angrily pound over their heads, and the girls winced.

"If it keeps doing that, the tunnel will collapse!" Musa declared.

"Then we'd better hurry!" Bloom shouted. "I say we use convergence!"

The others stared at her. "Bloom, are you out of your mind?" Tecna demanded.

"He said magic won't work!" Musa added.

"I know," Bloom said, "not _direct _magic. But if we enchant a physical object, then we can take it down."

"Using _convergence_?" Layla gasped.

"Yes," Flora said, "I think Bloom has a point."

The others turned around to stare at her. Heart pounding, Flora turned towards Tecna.

"I know we said technology and nature usually don't work together," she said, "but that doesn't matter right now. After all convergence doesn't rely on the compatibility of our powers; it only relies on the compatibility of us as people. And I think the way we paired up in Faragonda's class proved our compatibility."

"But we weren't able to do the project!" Tecna pointed out.

"That doesn't matter," Flora said, finally understanding the genius of Faragonda's exercise. "We figured the weakness of our mistakes back in class, so that we could learn from them for a simulation like this. And we weren't under duress during class – but we are now."

"So what are you saying?" Bloom asked. "We keep our original pairs to fight this thing?"

"_Yes_," Flora said. "We need to create something that'll keep the monster at bay, so that we can escape and get out of here."

"You mean like… a replica of _us_?" asked Layla.

"A replica of the Winx Six," Stella grinned. "I like it. Totally couture – AHH!"

The monster had broken through the tunnel. The girls screamed as rocks fell down on their heads.

"Layla and Musa, you first!" Bloom yelled.

The two girls zoomed ahead of everyone else. Flora, Tecna, Bloom, and Stella followed close behind. Layla and Musa linked hands, shouting.

"Morphix formation!"

"Rhythm steps!"

Purple-and-pink magic shot out of their hands. Flora watched in fascination as a purple-and-pink female mannequin formed out of Morphix, with rhythm in her step. She walked rather unsteadily, looking as if she was about to collapse.

"She needs a skeletal support!" she gasped to Tecna.

"And neural networks," Tecna declared. "Let's go try it out!"

The two joined hands. For a moment, they smiled briefly at each other, and Flora saw the doubt erase itself from Tecna's eyes. _I know we can do this… _She focused her energy.

"Skeletal ivy!"

"Digital networks!"

Green-and-orange magic shot out of their hands. A green vine snaked around the mannequin, and orange electrical wires shot through the inner part of her body. She began to walk more steadily, using Layla's structure and Musa's rhythm.

And in that moment, Flora felt more in-tune with Tecna than she'd ever felt before. She could feel her magical essence; likewise, she knew Tecna could feel hers, too. _I've never felt like this before… _It was a powerful feeling, one that transcended far beyond friendship and anything else they'd known.

"Now us!" Bloom and Stella linked hands.

"Solar sight!"

"Dragon's strength!"

Now red-and-yellow energy shot out of their hands. The girls watched in fascination as the mannequin, which could see the monster now quite clearly. Using Bloom's dragon essence, it zoomed towards the monster, lifting its hands. It reached into the monster's mouth. Flora gasped as she saw the sphere in the monster's hand.

"All right!" Musa cheered.

"Now incant a spell on the exit code!" Palladium shouted. "Do it so you can get out of the test!"

The six of them held hands together, in a circle. Flora smiled at Tecna, who smiled sheepishly back. _It's Winx Convergence time…_ They focused their power on the sphere.

"With the six of us here, together as one,

"Open the door so this test is done!"

Red fire shot out of Bloom's chest, as did orange electricity from Tecna. Then came Stella's yellow sunlight, and Flora's green ivy. Last, Layla set out purple Morphix, while Musa shot out pink sound-waves. The six chains of light formed together, a beautiful arc.

_A Winx rainbow_, Flora realized. _It's so… beautiful. _The six of them gasped at awe, amazed at the power of their convergence as it hit the ball of light.

The sphere glowed beautifully, enveloping them in brilliant colors. A white flash shot across the plains, so intense that Flora had to close her eyes. It was intense and awesome and heart-melting, the way their powers joined together.

Then the Magical Simulator Room appeared. Flora sank to the ground, weeping with relief. _We're safe… I'm so happy. _Palladium and Faragonda rushed out from the control panel.

"Are you okay, girls?" Palladium asked.

"Yes," Tecna's voice rang out, and Flora gazed up at her friend. The technology-fairy extended a hand to Flora, and the nature-fairy took it. "We faced many struggles, but we're through now. And we learned so much as a result."

"Yes, we did," Flora agreed, feeling much lighter. _I know what we were missing now. _Although nature and technology came from different realms, they both were ultimately used to support people. They'd combined ivy and electricity to support that mannequin, the same way plants supported so many life-forms, that computers supported so many people. _And we know how to do that now… _She smiled at Tecna.

_And we're going to bring Darkar down._

Flora wished she could keep that optimism in the present situation, so they could work together and defeat Valtor. _It won't work…_ The Winx were in too much disharmony to have any hope of another Convergence Rainbow; no thanks to her, of course. Feeling defeated, she stared at Tecna.

"Look," she said, "I know you don't want to talk now, but I want to remind you how _I _felt. That day, I felt a strong connection between the two of us. It filled me with so much hope, that no matter what happens between nature and technology, we will always – are you listening?"

"I'm not," Tecna whispered flatly. "This isn't possible."

"You have to believe!" Flora protested. "You have to believe this is going to work out. We'll find a solution! I promise you, Tecna, I won't give up on you." She reached for her friend's hand.

For a moment, she thought she saw Tecna's electric-blue eyes glimmer with something. _Is that… hope? _But she must've imagined it, for the Zenithian fairy released her hand, murmuring, "Goodnight."

* * *

The next week saw no improvement with the Winx group; if anything, it all became worse. What with the recent developments on Melody, Musa was in a state of anxiety all throughout the week, and not even Layla could comfort her. Flora wished she could help her friend, but knew that the other Winx would be furious with her for interceding.

Tecna kept to herself, speaking only in monosyllables to Flora. The others avoided Flora as much as they could, not even bothering to talk to her about the war. Truth to be told, it probably wasn't even in their minds; since Melody's predicament was so unprecedented and terrifying, the Triple M was only reporting about that. Now, there was dead silence in the apartment the few times Flora was around.

_No… _she thought, staring down at her bed. _This can't be happening now… My friends, my sanity… my realm…_

She didn't know when she'd ever be able to return back to Linphea; no commercial flight would take anyone to a war-zone. Her family hadn't managed to get out, and she knew they wouldn't want to leave Linphea, either. It was their homeland as much as hers, and they would stick it out, regardless of what happened.

_Zenith hasn't laid siege to our village yet… but it's only a matter of time._ And when they did, their realm would never again bloom, just like the flowers Mirta had given her.

She gazed at the pot which she'd planted them in. They were drooping from lack of care and kindness, something which she'd never done to any of her plants before. _I'm so sorry..._ But she knew she couldn't do anything about it.

Just like how she couldn't do anything about the final, absolute loss of all she held dear to her heart.

* * *

**This was what I would call an important filler-chapter – it doesn't have much action, but provides important information. The real stuff comes next time.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- The Winx (minus Tecna) meet with Faragonda.**

**\- Disastrous developments occur on Melody.**

**\- Tecna and Timmy have a painful conversation.**

**I can't say much more without giving it away, even though I'm sure you all can guess. Just stay tuned for Saturday's upload!**


	22. Chapter 20: Hindrance and Heartbreak

**Hello, everyone! This is a really important chapter – short, but important. We've got quite a bit more to cover on Tecna's story before the Incident happens. Are you ready?**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"I just saw you walking with that boy, out of a theater," said Vasiliev. "Quite the rebel, aren't you?"_**

**_"I'm sorry," Tecna gasped, her eyes wide. "I" –_**

**_"You will finish six hundred sets tonight," Vasiliev responded. "If you are not done with the sets by morning, I will contact your parents and inform them, and they will withdraw you from Alfea."_**

**_"No!" Tecna's legs buckled. "Please, don't have them pull me from Alfea" –_**

**_"Well, you have a choice," the man smirked. "Finish them tonight or face the consequences. That's our deal."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Tecna, you're not okay," Timmy said. "The other girls told me your work still hasn't let up, and it's taking up so much of your time. Can't you get Vasiliev to let you off?"_**

**_"I'm lucky in comparison to so many of my colleagues," Tecna responded. "My workload is actually a lot less."_**

**_"I don't believe that," Timmy answered. "Your colleagues probably aren't juggling school and a full-time job together." He looked at her in concern. "Is this something I can help you" –_**

**_"No," said Tecna forcefully; she couldn't tell him how Vasiliev had ambushed her the other night. "I'm forbidden from showing anyone the code. I could be imprisoned without a trial" –_**

**_"Don't worry," Timmy said, trying to look brave. "We'll sort this out together, Tecna. In the meantime, is there anything I can do?" Timmy asked._**

**_The pink-haired fairy paused. _****I wish I could tell him everything… ****_But to do that would be a death sentence. She swallowed, not meeting his gaze._**

**_"No," she said. "I have it under control."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"You made multiple errors here," Vasiliev said disgustedly. "This is not engineering. This is childish nonsense. For that, there will be consequences."_**

**_Tecna's eyes snapped up as Vasiliev stood over her. He was close, too close... Her heart beat as he spoke._**

**_"You will no longer see your precious boyfriend," he said._**

**_The lump that had formed in Tecna's throat now exploded. "What do you mean?"_**

**_"He has been taking away from your work," Vasiliev said icily. "You are no longer to see that useless boy."_**

**_A million thoughts swarmed through her head, not the least defeat. If Vasiliev said she couldn't see Timmy, she could no longer see him. Vasiliev would see if she was going with him; he knew everything about her. He had her controls, after all._**

**_"And if you see him, then we'll have to see if he can live or not."_**

**_Tecna's eyes snapped up, and she stared at him in alarm. "No."_**

**_"Yes," he answered coldly. "As soon as you see him, his heart will stop."_**

**_"No!" Tecna cried out. "You can't!"_**

**_Vasiliev laughed. "Oh, I most certainly can," he said. "You can't stop me."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"_****_Do you think something's going on with that portal?" Flora asked urgently. "Something so sinister, they can't tell anyone?"_**

**_"_****_I was kinda hopin' ya wouldn't say that," Musa answered. "But I'm sure it's not that bad."_**

**_"_****_Yeah," Stella agreed. "It's not like that portal's gonna blow up the whole realm, right?"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 20: HINDRANCE AND HEARTBREAK

The weeks went by. Digit was no longer speaking to Tecna at all; in fact, she barely saw the pixie anymore. _No one's speaking to me… _She closed her eyes, burying her head in the pillow.

She was just so _tired_. Not just from the work she had to do, but just… _everything_. She couldn't take it anymore. _This has to end somehow…_

It was time for her to meet with Faragonda. Under the headmistress's orders, she had to meet with her every Sunday to go over her progress each week. She couldn't say she'd made any progress since the order had come in, though.

As she approached the room, she thought she could hear voices. It was Faragonda's voice, and she was talking in a low voice to a group of girls.

"Sit down, Musa," she said. "I'm afraid this isn't going to be easy to hear at all."

_She called the Winx – without me? _thought Tecna; a bad feeling was settling in her gut._ What's going on? _She pressed her ear against the wall.

"Melody is no longer able to hide its drastic situation," Faragonda answered. "In an hour's time, they are going to release this information to the world. Here, Musa." From behind the wall, Tecna heard the rustling of papers.

For a minute, there was silence. Then Musa's shrill cry filled the air, sending everyone into shock. "What's going on?" Bloom demanded.

"I don't believe it!" Musa screamed. "I – how did Melody hide this?"

_Hide _what_? _Tecna thought, a sense of urgency coming over her. _What's going on?_

"This letter is from King Jun," Musa gasped. "He sent this same letter to all the realms, as well as to Ms. Faragonda. Melody is gonna be destroyed by the portal!"

"_What_?" Stella cried. "What does that even mean?"

"When Valtor used his Dragon Fire to tear it open, it created a massive imbalance in energy," Faragonda explained, sounding grave. "The icy energy of Omega and sonic energy of Melody are at a collide, and right now, Omega's power is much stronger. When the sages constructed the portal, thousands of years ago, they knew this was a possibility; however, the chance of this ever happening was so slim, that they created it anyways. Sorcerers from all over the realms have tried to close the portal for months, but none of them realized that the circumstances were so dire. No one even thought this was a possibility until two weeks ago."

"You mean when Galatea's parents ordered our citizens to evacuate!" Musa gasped. "Why didn't they tell everyone _then_?"

"They didn't want to create a mass panic," Faragonda answered. "It seemed safer to order the mandatory evacuation, without people knowing why. They've been desperately trying to control the portal, but to no avail. In forty-eight hours, the portal will explode."

"My dad!" Musa cried. "Where's my father? Where's he gone?"

"Your father has evacuated the realm and told me not to let you go," Faragonda answered. "Normally, I would heed such a request, but I truly believe you are the only people who can do anything about it, if at all."

"I don't understand," Flora frowned. "Why do you think _we're _going to be able to fix this? If the best sages in the world couldn't, how can _we_?"

It became silent; Tecna didn't have to be in the room to know that everyone else was glaring at Flora. Faragonda let out a sigh.

"I have a hunch, but I don't know if it'll work," she said. "Bloom, you are the only person other than Valtor who has the Dragon Flame. If Valtor's powers broke open the portal" –

"Then mine should be able to close it!" gasped Bloom. "I have to try it!"

"You are to leave immediately," Faragonda said. "But you must be careful, for once the realm hits the Point of No Return, you are to abort the mission immediately and head back home. I want you to be brave, but I do not want you to be reckless."

_What?_ Tecna stared at the door. _She's sending the other girls, but not me? _She slammed the door open. The Winx and Faragonda turned around as soon as they saw her figure in the doorway, her eyes blazing.

"I want to go!" she shouted. "If Musa's realm is in trouble, then I'm going, too!"

"Tecna," Flora began, but Faragonda cut her off.

"Tecna, you have not been keeping up in your classes at all. I doubt you can perform the same spells as your friends here. I am sending Musa because she is the only Enchantix-level Melodian fairy here, and the other Winx, because I know they will help her. But you cannot help anyone, Tecna, until you help yourself."

"What nonsense," Tecna snarled. "I am perfectly fine!"

"No, you are not," Faragonda answered. "And you will stay here until they come back, and focus on your coursework. It is for your own good, Tecna."

Rage filled up in Tecna, but she could do nothing more than glare at the headmistress. _I can't believe she's doing this to me..._ She turned around and fled, into the quad.

She didn't know why she was acting like this. All she knew was that the time for logic and reasoning was over. _I have to help Musa save her realm._ She knew that if she didn't do something, the realm would dissolve right before everyone's eyes.

"Tecna!"

Tecna jumped to see Timmy pulling up into the quad, on his hoverbike. He stared at her in astonishment. "Tec, what's going on?"

"I'm fine," Tecna panted.

"No, you're not, Tec! You look horrible!"

"I'm _fine_," Tecna said again through gritted teeth. Though she knew Timmy was right. She backed away from him slowly, closing her eyes as she remembered Vasiliev's words last night.

"Tecna? Please, can you tell me what's going on?" Timmy said painfully. He jumped off his bike and moved towards her, but she backed away. "Tecna, what is it?"

Tecna opened her eyes. Timmy was right in front of her, a beseeching look on his face. She let it out, forcing herself to keep her tears at bay.

"Vasiliev has banned me from seeing you," she burst out. "He told me if I see you, he'll kill you."

Timmy stared at her in alarm. "Tecna... what are you saying?"

"I can't be with you," she whispered**.** "I'm sorry, Timmy. I don't want anything to happen to you."

There was a pause. Then Timmy spoke, and his voice was angry. "So you don't think I can face a goon like Vasiliev? Is that really what you think of me, Tecna?"

"That's not what I meant, Timmy!" Tecna cried. "Timmy, I really care about you, which is why I'm telling you to leave. You don't know what he's capable of."

"You think I'm weak, just like all of the other Red Fountain boys," Timmy said accusingly. "You won't even tell me what's going on, just because I can't handle a sword as well as them. You think I'm weak!"

Tecna couldn't respond. _That's not true… _But, as always, she knew he was right. She could still remember that day last year in Red Fountain, when everything had gone wrong…

She could only remember one time that'd been as debilitating as this, and that was their defeat at Red Fountain last year. The day when the Trix had flown off with the Codex had been one of the worst of her life. She could still remember her failure, clear as day, and how angry she'd been with Timmy for not saving them from the Trix…

"We've got to get up there," Sky had said, running up the steps.

Tecna and Bloom followed him, running up towards the top of the tower. Flora was recuperating on the floor before, and would catch up with them later. _Here we are… _She drew to a stop as Sky opened the door. Staring inside, she let out a gasp of horror.

The witches were standing in the Crypt. ONLY ONE BEARS THE WEIGHT OF RED FOUNTAIN, was inscribed into the table. There were several objects on the table, and behind it, there was a scale.

With a shout, Sky threw his discus at Icy.

"Hello," Icy said lazily, turning around. "Back for more humiliation?" She shot an attack spell at Sky.

"Let's go!" Tecna shouted, flying at Darcy and shooting her with a hex.

But the witch easily absorbed it. "Oh, come on," she jeered. And then she shot dark energy at Tecna.

Tecna gasped in shock as the dark energy shoved her to the ground. Stormy's powers were stronger than anything she'd ever seen before. _No… this can't be happening…_

Suddenly, the sound of a blaster shot filled the air. Tecna jumped up and stared over her shoulder.

In front of them was Timmy, holding his mini-blaster and looking absolutely petrified.

"Timmy!" Tecna squealed.

Stormy growled. "That's enough!" she snarled. And then she created a twister.

The two fairies and two Specialists yelled as they were thrown in the air. The Trix let out a maniacal laugh.

"The power of Gloomix almost makes this boring," Darcy declared.

Tecna looked around. Bloom and Timmy had collapsed on the floor, unconscious. She herself could barely get up; even her cyborg limbs were exhausted.

But Sky was still standing.

"No!" he yelled. With a roar of anger, he ran towards Icy.

But the witch simply hit him with an icy attack. In horror, Tecna watched as he fell to the ground.

"One-hundred years sleep, minimum," Darcy sniggered.

_No… _thought Tecna wildly, staring around; now she was the only one conscious. _I have to do something… _But she couldn't get up without attracting attention, and in any case, her powers were very weak.

"Now," Icy said, "for the matter of the scale." She surveyed the objects and frowned. From her position on the ground, Tecna could make out a crystal, robed figurine, feather, coin, baton, sword, diploma, and communicator.

"Hmm, the weight of Red Fountain," the white-haired witch sighed, observing the objects. "Magical weight, moral weight, weightlessness, economic weight, social weight, military weight, the weight of knowledge, and communication. Hmm"…

_It must be the sword_, thought Tecna. _Please… don't choose the sword… _She held an attack spell in her hand, ready to smash the sword if Icy picked it up.

"Saladin is a magically-enfranchised fairy-male, so it could be the crystal – wait." She looked at the figurine with the robe. "The Red Fountain warriors always wear these pompous robes at events, which they think represent morality. So in order to get the Codex, I have to follow the path of morality"… She let out a snort. "Well, I guess the ends justify the means."

_She's wrong_, thought Tecna, feeling slightly relieved. _I won't have to do anything, then… the scale will blow her up… _Pulling herself to a sitting position, she watched as Icy placed the figurine on the scale.

The scale began to creak, moving up and down. Tecna watched with bated breath as the side with the figurine seemed to teeter to the top, not fully supporting its weight. _We have it… then…_

Then without warning, the scale completely balanced. A platform moved, revealing a spiral-staircase that led to a basement below.

"No!" Tecna cried out. Lifting her hands, she shot Icy with a digital slap.

The witch easily absorbed the blow. Turning around, she glared at Tecna.

"Stupid pixie," she jeered. "How about we render you powerless for some time, so you won't try to fight?" She lifted her hands in the air.

_No… _Tecna stared as Icy's spell hit her. In shock, she fell to the ground.

She tried to summon her powers, but it was futile. She couldn't stop the Trix from getting the Codex any more than she could stop them from choosing the right object. _I was a fool… How could I have made such a miserable mistake? _Of _course _it hadn't been the sword; that was way too obvious. _It's my fault…_

Next to her, Bloom stirred. "What's going on?" the red-haired girl said sleepily, opening her eyes. "We're – no, Sky!" She clapped a hand to her mouth.

"What's going on?" Flora had just arrived, and was running towards Sky. "Oh no! He has no pulse!"

_Forget him! _thought Tecna. _We'll find a cure later. Right now we need to stop the Trix! _She looked at Timmy, who had just awakened.

"Timmy," she whispered. "The rest of us are all weak. The Trix put a power-draining spell on me and Bloom, and on Flora when we were downstairs. You're the only one who can stop this! Please, Timmy." She stared at him desperately. "Please stop the Trix!"

Something stirred behind them. Tecna spun around to see the Trix climbing up the steps, the Codex in their hands. Timmy held his blaster in front of them, glaring.

"Oh, what have we here?" Icy sneered. "Another boy who wants to play hero?"

"Come _on_, Timmy," Tecna whispered through gritted teeth. _Show them who you are… don't let them get away!_

But then she saw Timmy's right hand shaking. He lowered his gaze, appearing to be in thought.

"How many times do I have to beat you?" Icy laughed. "Pathetic."

And with that, Timmy dropped the blaster to the ground. "Go," he murmured. "You can pass."

Tecna stared at him in shock. _I can't believe this… Why, Timmy? How could you let them go?_

"You're a coward!" she cried, running out of the room.

She could hear Timmy calling after her, and Bloom's cries about her immobilized boyfriend, but she didn't care. _I can't believe it… _She lowered her head to the ground.

_We screwed up_, she thought bitterly. _We screwed up… and now the Codex is theirs. He could've beaten them, but he didn't. _She clenched her fists.

_I can't believe I ever liked him._

And now Tecna closed her eyes. Last year, she'd dwelled heavily on Timmy's refusal to fight, furious with how he'd let the Trix get away. But now, she realized it had all just been a cover-up, an excuse to project her anger on someone else. In reality, she'd been angry with herself, and had taken it out on Timmy. _The whole thing was really my fault…_

_I didn't care for him_, she realized. _I treated him horribly… and now it's showing in our relationship. _She opened her eyes. Timmy was speaking, sounding angrier and angrier.

"I can't believe this," he said. "I... I thought you were different from the others, Tecna! I thought you loved me!"

"I... do," Tecna whispered.

"Then say it," Timmy said harshly. "Say it, so I know where I stand."

Tecna closed her eyes. She remembered her parents' warnings, how angry they'd been upon seeing her crop-top, and how furious they would be if they knew she was dating. She remembered Digit's voice: _I've never heard you tell him that._ And then Vasiliev: _Interesting how you can love, when it has been scientifically proven to be impossible._

She bowed her head.

There was a silence, and then Timmy spoke. "I was a fool, then. I'm sorry I ever wasted your time." He walked towards his hoverbike, and hopped on.

She watched him go, her heart breaking. She closed her eyes and scolded herself. _It was your choice, so stop whining. _But still, it felt as if her heart was shattering into a thousand pieces, never to be revived again.

She'd been wrong all along; Timmy had never been the coward. It had always been _her_, and in the recesses of her mind, she'd always known it. She'd done nothing to stop Vasiliev from taking over her life, and nothing to honor her creed as a fairy of Alfea. _What have I done to help my friends? _She'd been in a horrible state of mind all this time, destroying everyone else with her pain. And now, when Timmy's life was at stake, there was nothing she could do.

_But I won't let him die. _She glared at the ground.

_The ship will be arriving here soon_, she thought. _I have to go._ Walking into the woods, she closed her eyes, knowing she had to get to Melody.

_One way or the other, I'll fulfill my duty to my friends, Timmy, and Vasiliev. This will end now. _She clenched her fists.

_So I can save Musa's realm from destruction for once and for all._

* * *

**Yes, Tecna and Timmy just broke up. *sobs* It's even more tragic in light of what's going to happen next.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- The Winx come across the king and queen of Melody.**

**\- They are met by Melodian merfolk, who have been spelled by Valtor.**

**\- Running out of time, the girls desperately search for Teboc.**

**See you all soon!**


	23. Chapter 21: Defending Melody

**Hello, everyone. As we approach the Incident, more and more twists will grow. Get your seatbelts on!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Musa turned towards Chen. "What exactly is _****_happening in Melody?"_**

**_"The portal to Omega has been broken open," Chen said urgently. "Melodian authorities are trying their hardest to contain it, as well as minimize civilian damage, but we do not know what the situation is as of now. And no one knows why or how it happened."_**

**_"Oh, no," gasped Musa. "That… that's horrible. What are we going to do?"_**

**_"_****_Just stay put," _****_Chen said. "We're doing our absolute best to have the situation under control."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ "_****_The whole Omega thing's taken interrealm media attention," Musa answered, "The news-crews are tryin' ta enter, but the Melodian government has banned them. Even UR Defense forces have been banned from entry. The king's got real 'tude, that's for sure. I spoke ta Galatea, and even she doesn't know why things are like this."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"This letter is from King Jun," Musa gasped. "Melody is gonna be destroyed by the portal!"_**

**_"When Valtor used his Dragon Fire to tear it open, it created a massive imbalance in energy," Faragonda explained, sounding grave. "The icy energy of Omega and sonic energy of Melody are at a collide. In forty-eight hours, the portal will explode. You must do everything in your power to save the realm. I truly believe you are the only people who can do anything about it, if at all."_**

**_"I don't understand," Flora frowned. "Why do you think we're going to be able to fix this? If the best sages in the world couldn't, how can we?"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 21: DEFENDING MELODY

The flight to Melody was miserable. Flora sat back, wishing Tecna was here. _She should be the one steering our flight..._ But she knew Faragonda had been right to make her stay back. She just wasn't well enough to come.

"I can detect the sonic energy of this realm beginning to self-destruct," said Musa, sounding near tears. "This entire realm is going to implode on itself unless we can do something."

"Look over there," said Stella, pointing. "All of the traffic in this realm is going _out_!"

So it was. In fact, they were the only people attempting to enter the realm. Musa looked anxiously around and asked, "Where's the UR forces?"

"They've given up," said Layla flatly, turning the ship away from a cloud. "They're only here to aid people out. _We_'re the UR forces now."

Flora didn't like the sound of that. _Oh, Linphèana..._ Staring down, she voiced her fears. "What if we're too late?"

"Oh there you go, being a pessimist!" Stella shot at her. "It wasn't enough that you had to lie to us, was it? Do you have to ruin our chances of saving the realm before we even start?"

"Yeah," added Bloom. "Do you want this realm to be destroyed?"

"No," said Flora, feeling near tears. _How could they even say that?_ Musa glared at her.

"Well then, keep your stupid opinions to yourself!"

After that, Flora didn't even bother to open her mouth. It wasn't hard; no one was even speaking to her, anyways. Though no one else wanted to say it, least of all Musa, she could tell they were just as scared as she was. She didn't want to start another squabble, not when things were so tense. _We have to save the realm. I can feel sorry for myself later._

"Get ready!" Layla shouted from the helm. "It's going to be a rough ride down!"

The girls screamed as wind battered the ship, virulently opposing its entrance into the realm. Staring out the window, Flora saw a funnel of energy over a Melodian island, bursting out-of-control. _Oh my… _She put a hand to her mouth.

The funnel was like that of a tornado. It seemed to split the very sky apart, fueling dark clouds and violent thunderstorms. Lightning swarmed out and slammed into the sky. _No wonder there's so much wind around here. _From the looks on the others' faces, they were just as horrified as she was. She lowered her head, unable to bear looking a second longer.

They flew towards the Melodian palace. What had once been a thriving cultural center was now a dead, arid desert. The city of Symphonia was completely deserted.

"Oh no," whispered Musa, a hand to her mouth. "There's nothing here." Her eyes began to water.

"Musa," began Layla, placing a hand on her shoulder, but Musa shook it off.

"There used to be flags of all colors and people all over the streets, vendors in the bazaar and the smell of spice everywhere – and now there's nothing. And there's no music, either. And the sight of that portal" – She buried her face in her hands. "This – this is stuff from a horror movie. This has always been my worst nightmare."

"Well, we're not going to let that happen," said Layla, squeezing her hand comfortingly. "Melody will thrive again."

The ship landed. Layla pressed a control and opened the latch of the main compartment. "Let's go."

Flora was about to follow them when she saw a girl flying out of their ship. A girl wearing a glittering purple suit and neon green wings – she gasped in horror, and shouted out. "Tecna!"

"What?" Bloom was by her side. "Where?"

The girl was standing on the side of the street, staring at them defiantly. Musa ran out of the ship, with the other girls following her. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"I snuck out," Tecna said. Her old spirit was back, but it was replaced with something much more dangerous, Flora noted with horror – dangerous in the sense that it was illogical. _Oh, Tecna..._ "I hid in the cargo and flew with you the entire time. Maybe you should've thought of that before you left me behind." She crossed her arms.

"Well, you can't be here," Musa declared. "It's too dangerous."

"It is not," Tecna snarled, and Flora stared at her fierce eyes. _She looks like a caged animal! I've never seen her like this before!_

"It's my realm!" Musa shouted. "I would've been the princess had my dad not given up his crown! So I say who can come and who can't, and I say you can't!"

"Don't be such an idiot, Musa," Tecna retorted. "You're not leaving me behind" –

"Are we going to waste our time arguing or get on with it?" Bloom suddenly asked. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not letting this realm suffer the same fate as Domino! We have to move on!"

"Agreed!" Stella said. "Let's get to the palace and" –

The wind threw them off their feet, and the girls fell to the pavement. Flora gasped as she hit the concrete, tasting blood in her mouth. Shakily, she pulled herself to her feet, whirling around. _Someone's behind us… _She gasped as soon as she saw who it was.

King Jun and Queen Li of Melody stood in front of them, their arms crossed. They were glaring at the girls.

"Lady Musa," said the queen coldly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Musa frowned nervously. "Um… hi, Your Majesty. We were sent by Ms. Faragonda to help defend the realm."

"You girls are to leave immediately," King Jun answered. "Do not even hope to think you can do anything. The entire army is gone, and only the palace guards remain. We waited here until we were sure all of our citizens complied with the evacuation orders; we are only just heading out now. As of now, the realm of Melody no longer exists."

"Don't say that!" Musa snarled. "We are not giving up! I'm not leaving our realm!"

"So be it." King Jun turned towards his guards, who were behind him. "Guards, arrest these girls and make sure they get out of this realm!"

The guards ran towards them, spears pointed. Bloom yelped in alarm, and jumped out of the way.

"Let's book it!" Musa yelled, transforming. The girls flew away, the guards running behind.

"I think we're gonna have to use my scepter to escape from these guys!" Stella grabbed her ring.

"Wait!" Layla stopped her. "Don't you remember that transporting spell we learned in Enchantix class?"

Flora remembered. All Enchantix fairies had the power to teleport themselves, provided they were transporting within the same planet and going between areas that weren't non-transportable. Only extremely learned magical-beings, such as Valtor, had the power to transport between entire realms.

"We're gonna head to that rock-formation over there." She pointed to the sea. "You ready?"

"Ready," Musa said. Flora grabbed Tecna's hand and Stella grabbed Bloom's.

"Transportus!" they yelled. A spear slammed into the spot where they'd been just as they disappeared, morphing into a white light.

They appeared behind the rock, panting. The sea was ahead of them, its waves rising higher than Flora had ever seen. Musa dusted herself and turned towards the other girls.

"Okay," she said, her voice shaking. "So let's go towards the portal."

"But how are we going to close the portal?" Bloom asked. "Don't we need a plan?"

Musa growled, and Flora could tell how frustrated she was. "Well" – Suddenly her eyes lit up.

"I know!" she said. "Teboc the Wise lives in one of these caves. He's one of the men who created the portal, the only one still alive. Galatea said he's on the evacuation-order list, which means he's still here. He's the only one who can help us!"

"Perfect," said Bloom. "Let's go find him and" –

The ground below them began to shake. The girls screamed as the sea churned below them, a wave nearly hitting Stella and pulling her into the water. Five mermaids flew out of the sea, their eyes glinting.

Flora stared at them in horror. _Oh no... Valtor must have done the same thing to the mermaids here as he did on Andros! _The mermaids advanced on them, their eyes glittering.

"On second thought, you two go!" Musa yelled, pointing to Tecna and Bloom. "The Enchantix Squad can handle this. Come on!" She grabbed Layla and Stella's hands.

Flora followed them, grabbing her pouch from her neck. _Let's free them..._ But no matter how close she tried to get to them, the mermaids darted away. A spell slammed out of one of the mermaid's tridents, and hit her to the ground.

_No!_ thought Flora desperately. _I don't want to hurt them, but we can't let them stop us! _She flew towards the mermaid, who roared again, flying to strike Musa –

And was hit by a stroke of a sword. The mermaid collapsed, falling into the ground.

Musa turned around, and gasped. "Your Majesty!"

The queen was standing with a sword. Behind her was a group of guards, who ran to immobilize the mermaids. The mermaids snarled as they were hit, trying to escape but failing.

"Thanks, Your Majesty," said Musa, at a loss for words. "You saved me."

"No, it was _you_ who saved _me_," the queen answered, smiling. "Because of you, I now know not to give up hope, that we can do this together. While my husband oversees the evacuation orders, I will remain here, fighting for Melody with my last breath." She nodded to the mermaids. "Can we dust them and turn them back?"

"We're on it!" Stella flew into the air, grabbing her fairy-dust. Flora and the others followed her, each girl taking a mermaid. Flora sprinkled her green dust over one's head, and Queen Li sprinkled lilac dust over another.

She could see Stella's yellow dust, Musa's pink dust, and Layla's purple dust shining, creating a beautiful rainbow together. _They converged their magic together..._ A flash of self-pity came over her as the mermaid stared at her like she was a goddess.

"Thank you," she breathed. "You saved me."

"Get into a ship and leave," Queen Li ordered. "A precautionary measure only," she said at the look on Musa's face. "Now we must focus all our energy on stabilizing the portal."

"Right," Layla said, her eyes flashing. "Let's go find the others, and put an end to this mess."

_I don't know how… _She stared at the portal, which was, if possible, even more out-of-control than when they'd first landed. _How are we going to contain that portal? _She swallowed, wondering if even Bloom's Dragon Fire could stop this.

_Please, Linphèana, we need a miracle about now…_

* * *

**The stakes are getting higher and higher every moment. What do you think? Are they going to make it or not?**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Bloom and Tecna try to convince Teboc to help them.**

**\- The Winx head towards the portal, working together to secure it.**

**\- Bloom uses her Dragon Fire and tries to close the portal.**

**See you Saturday with the next part!**


	24. Chapter 22: The Vision in the Winds

**This is it, everyone. The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived.**

**This will also be the only chapter in the first part which has both Flora _and _Tecna's POVs featured. There will be many more POVs in the coming part, but we will get to that later. For now, just enjoy the ride.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"Tecna, listen to me!" Timmy said desperately. "You need to stop doing so much work. It's taking over your life!"_**

**_"No!" Tecna shouted. "That would be the end of me, and you know it! Vasiliev's too dangerous!"_**

**_There was a silence. Then Timmy whispered, "Tecna, is there something you're not telling me?"_**

**_Tecna didn't answer. _****I can't tell him… ****_She drew in a shallow, gasping breath at the memory._**

**_"I have to go," she said, and then she hung up._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_A girl flew out of their ship. Flora recognized the glittering purple suit and neon green wings instantly, and gasped in horror. "Tecna!"_**

**_"What's going on?" Musa demanded._**

**_"I snuck out," Tecna said. Her old spirit was back, but it was replaced with something much more dangerous, Flora noted with horror – and illogical. "I hid in the cargo and flew with you the entire time. Maybe you should've thought of that before you left me behind." She crossed her arms._**

**_"Well, you can't be here," Musa declared. "It's too dangerous."_**

**_"It is not," Tecna snarled, and Flora stared at her fierce eyes. _****She looks like a caged animal! I've never seen her like this before!**

_**-o-o-o-**_

**_"You don't have to explain anything," Flora answered. "Just promise me one thing, okay, Tec?"_**

**_"What is it?" Tecna asked._**

**_"Promise me you won't hurt yourself," Flora whispered. "I don't want anything to happen to you, Tecna. Please, promise me that."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 22: THE VISION IN THE WINDS

"Sir Teboc!" Bloom shouted, banging the door open. "We need your help!"

Tecna stared forward. A man was kneeling over the floor, his hands in a prayer position. He jumped suddenly, staring up at Bloom.

"W-why are you here?" he stammered. "I thought I was the only person left in this forsaken realm!"

_So much for Teboc the _Wise, Tecna thought. This old man looked decrepit, and, quite frankly, pathetic. _But he's the only one who can help us out… _

"Please!" Bloom shouted desperately. "We have to close the portal!"

"You silly girl!" Teboc shot back. "The best sages of the world have tried to close this portal. _I _have tried for so many months, to no avail. And how, our worst fears, fears we never thought were possible, are here to fruition."

"But we've fought the Army of Decay before!" Bloom cried. "We fought the Shadow Phoenix, and we've battled Valtor, too! Please, you can't give up!"

"Such bravado," he answered. "But no. This is a force unlike one you've ever met before."

"We're not leaving until this portal is shut!" Tecna snarled back. The man jumped up, startled at her tone. "You are going to get out there and do your job! I don't care how sorry you feel for yourself, but just _get up and close it_!"

Silence, except for the howling wind outside, permeated through the building. Bloom stared at Tecna, clearly stunned by her tenacity. _Why is everyone looking at me like that? _Irritation built up in her as she stared defiantly at Teboc.

"We _do _have hope," Bloom said at last. "I am the last survivor of Domino's destruction. The princess of Domino. As I hold the power of the Dragon's Flame, I have to try and reverse the destruction Valtor wrought."

Teboc stared at her. "A fairy of the Dragon Fire?" he gasped. "I don't believe it"… He sighed. "I suppose it is worth one last shot. I will bring the ancient scrolls with me, so we can do one final incantation. But do not get your hopes up. I see you both are determined to die here, too, and nothing I say will change your minds. All the same, our activities must stop before the Point of No Return, which is in approximately an hour."

"Then we'd better hurry," Bloom declared.

"Let's go," Tecna said. The two girls and Teboc flew out towards the portal, the deadly funnel that enveloped all the sky.

* * *

Flora, Musa, Stella, and Layla flew towards the portal. The winds were getting stronger and stronger, and even with the might of their Enchantix wings, they weren't going to be able to reach it. _How are we going to do this?_

"Hey, guys!" a voice shouted behind them. "We got Teboc!"

Flora turned around. Tecna and Bloom were flying towards them, with an old wizard trailing behind. The wizard's eyes were grim as he stared forward.

"This is worse than I saw before," he said hoarsely. "We will never be able to save this realm."

"Shut up and tell us how to get there," Tecna responded irritably.

"What my friend means" – Bloom said, shooting Tecna a glare, "is: how do we get to the top of the steps?"

"Those of you with your Enchantix must create a shield," Teboc answered. "I will help you." He closed his eyes, and a sphere appeared in his hands.

Flora focused on her own energy, calling what was left of the nature around her. "Floral shield," she whispered. Her energy was weaker than it would've been, but was still strong. Out of all of theirs, Layla's was the strongest, due to the heightened waves; Musa's was the weakest, due to the destructive sonar energy around. Stella looked around, staring in distress. "I can't put my powers to use! Those dark clouds have blocked all celestial bodies!"

"It's okay, Stell," Layla assured her. "The three of us have got this." She linked hands with both Flora and Musa. "Convergence!"

Flora focused, forcing herself to push aside her differences with Layla and Musa. _We have to make this convergence work as well as possible… _Floral, molecular, and sonar magic shot out past them; a green, purple, and pink shield surrounded the group. Teboc's eyes went wide.

"Fascinating," he whispered. "Even though your powers are far weaker, due to the circumstances, the amount of raw energy you possess is incredible. You girls truly are powerful."

"That's why we need to help close the portal," Bloom answered. "That's the only way."

"Very well," Teboc nodded. He turned towards Musa and Bloom. "You two are needed to close the portal. In case they fail, I need one of you for backup. Which one of you will" –

"_I _will," Tecna said, standing up straight.

"Tecna, you're not even supposed to be here!" Musa shouted. "You can't" –

"Let her come," Teboc interrupted. "We need someone of a strong spirit to come with us. The rest of you, use your powers to stabilize the portal."

"Then we haven't a second to lose," Bloom declared.

Flora stared at Tecna. _Please be okay… _She looked at her friend anxiously, who was seemingly avoiding everyone's gaze. Then Tecna turned away, following Musa, Bloom, and Teboc.

_I hope she makes it out okay…_

* * *

Tecna, Bloom, and Musa landed on the steps of the portal, scrambling hurriedly up as they raced to meet the chute. Tecna ran up, her heart thumping as she stared at what was in front.

The funnel was far more terrifying than when she'd seen it before. Electricity swarmed in its depths, and darkness abounded deep inside. Hail was hissing out of the funnel, shooting up into the air and to the night. She stared into its depths, wondering how they were ever going to close it.

Teboc sighed, a sigh heavier than any mountains. "I knew it was a big mistake to create this portal."

"Then why?" asked Musa. "Why did you do it?"

"It was four hundred years ago," Teboc said. "The Omega Prison was created by the UR in order to keep the most dangerous criminals imprisoned for life. Melody was chosen as a gateway, because it is, relatively speaking, the closest to Omega.

"I was one of four wizards chosen to erect this portal. I was young then, a mere sixty-year-old man, as I helped men centuries older than I to build this. It was meant to be a quick shortcut to Omega, located on the far edges of the dimension, and to provide us security in ridding ourselves of the worst criminals of the world. And now, the very thing that was supposed to save us will destroy us after all." He let out a sigh as he stared at the funnel.

"I'm not standing by and letting this realm get destroyed," Bloom declared. "What do you need me to do?"

"Give me the strongest Dragon you have," Teboc answered. "Fairy of music, converge your powers with hers. You" – he pointed to Tecna – "give me as much energy as you have."

_I'll give you energy, all right_, Tecna thought, staring defiantly at the portal. _You are going to close, even if I have to give up everything. _She created a ball of orange metallic energy, staring forward.

Bloom had transformed into her Charmix, calling forth the Dragon's Flame. A red fire-dragon swarmed out of her heart, surrounding them all with its benevolent energy. Musa spread her fairy-dust in a circle, calling forth her sonic energy.

"Hrah!" she shouted. Pink sound-waves flew out of her chest, surrounding Bloom's dragon. Holding the scrolls, Teboc stared up into the face of the portal.

The dragon swarmed around the portal, coiling it in a grasp. Despite the winds' harsh brace, it did not falter. Bloom narrowed her eyes, focusing her Dragon Fire.

"I will read from the ancient scrolls," Teboc said. "Now is the time. Focus your fire on the portal. Focus it!"

Bloom closed her eyes, sending all the energy she had within into the portal. Tecna and Musa focused their energy on Teboc. The wizard lifted the scrolls, incanting in ancient Harmonian:

_Magna portal, quod est adaperire!_

_Proqinquus tu magni infundibuliformis vacant_

_Quapropter suscipe benedictionem hanc societatem civium solus in –_

A harsh wind blew from the funnel, knocking them out of balance. Tecna, Bloom, and Musa fell to the ground as the scrolls slipped out of Teboc's hands, flying into the funnel. He gasped out loud.

"Noooo!" he shouted in horror, falling to his knees. "Not the ancient scrolls!"

Tecna stared at him in terror. _No..._ Without the scrolls, they had no chance of closing the portal and stopping it from immolating the realm. They truly were at the Point of No Return.

A deafening crash sounded above them as the funnel tore into the sky. The very sky was splitting apart, and the realm was crumbling before their very eyes. Teboc lowered his eyes.

"What are we going to do?" gasped Musa in shock.

"Now that the scrolls have been lost, it is impossible to close the portal," Teboc answered. "Your Dragon Fire is irrelevant. There is one way, but it is would require a tremendous amount of sacrifice and courage – courage I no longer possess, I am afraid."

"What is it?" Bloom demanded.

"In order for the portal to be closed, it must be closed from the inside," Teboc answered. "The person who goes to close it, first of all, must be able to withstand the winds, which are going at an impossibly high speed. And even if she was able to get inside, she would be trapped there forever."

* * *

Flora focused her floral energy, calling on the aquatic plants to lend her their strength. They flew upwards, holding the portal in their strength. Next to her, Layla was harnessing the energy of waves, and Stella was using her limited light-energy to add to their power. She focused hard on the portal, slowing its funnel.

"Hold on," Layla shouted. "Contain the portal!"

_Come on… _She gritted her teeth, trying to hold on to the portal as much as possible. _We need to contain that funnel as much as possible… _It looked as if their efforts were working, that their powers were containing it.

Then the funnel roared and Tecna, Bloom, and Musa were blasted back.

"Oh no!" Layla cried, staring up at the portal. The funnel was now as furious as ever, demonically spreading into the sky.

"We have to leave!" Stella shouted. "The Point of No Return is in five minutes! We need to round everyone up and get out of here, before it's too late to leave" –

A wave drenched Flora. She let out a shout as she was pulled underwater, away from the portal. "Argh!" she cried, trying to swim up to the surface.

But she was no match for the sea, especially one that was spurred by the portal. _Please, no… _Her arms flailed desperately as she coughed up mouthfuls of seawater, fighting her way back up.

"I'm going into the portal," Bloom said. "I'm not letting this realm get destroyed."

"Bloom, stop," Musa protested; surprised, Bloom halted. "This is my realm; it's my responsibility. You can't take the burden of this great sacrifice."

"Then we'll do it together," Bloom declared.

The two girls linked hands and walked forward, followed by Tecna and Teboc. Tecna stared at the funnel, the growing power as the earth shook. The water was up to their feet now. Shaking, Tecna followed the girls towards the funnel as they walked down.

She could feel the electrical energy of the portal, zipping through her body. WARNING: HIGH VOLTAGE ALERT, her scanner read.

_This is not unlike my wiring system_, Tecna realized. The portal ran on the same energy: electricity and a lot of magic. _But if the source is cut off, then maybe, just maybe, it'll all stop…_

She gasped as the funnel ejected them, and they were thrown out of the portal. Musa fell on her butt, Bloom slammed into her, and Teboc fell on his back.

Only Tecna stood unfazed, her Charmix gleaming on her breast as she faced the portal.

"I can do this," she declared, marching forward.

The others gasped as she walked forward, calling out to her, but Tecna shut them all out. _If this is all I ever do in my life, then so be it._ Heart filled with determination, she strode towards the funnel.

* * *

Waves crashed over Flora's head as she was dragged underwater, riptide after riptide subduing her. Her lungs were on fire, and she clawed her way upwards desperately to the surface.

_I need to get out! _She needed to help her friends get out of here, so they could leave this realm. _This is wasting our time! _This reminded her of how she'd dove underwater to save Miele after the Trix had thrown her into the stream.

But this was far, far worse. The waves were much stronger, and there was no mercy in store for her. _I'm going to die here… I'm going to die in this water… _Her lungs felt as if they were filled with ice.

"Flora!" she dimly heard Layla's shout. "We're coming!"

_Stop wasting your time on me! _Flora wanted to shout. _Get the others out of here! _But she was too weak to do anything of the sort. Another wave pulled her under, dragging her deep to the bottom of the sea.

Her lungs were now utterly numb. Black spots were beginning to cloud her vision, and her head was fuzzy. _This is it, this is the end… _She closed her eyes.

Suddenly, the sea stopped churning. She lay at the bottom of the sea, no longer moving, no longer shaking. _What… _An air-bubble suddenly formed around her head, and she gasped in the cool, clean air, coughing out all the water that'd entered her lungs. A hand grabbed her and dragged her out of the water, up to the surface.

_What's going on? _She emerged out of the water, staring at Layla, who had just saved her from drowning. She was about to thank her friend, but froze as soon as she saw what was ahead of her.

The funnel had stopped spiraling. It was now completely still, sending no static electricity or waves into the sky. The water was as placid as could be, although gray clouds still threatened the sky.

"What's going on?" Flora demanded. With a trembling finger, Stella pointed in front of her.

Something was in the funnel – or rather, someone. If she squinted her eyes, Flora thought she could see Tecna walking into the portal.

_Tecna!_ she thought, horrified. _What are you doing?_

Suddenly, the storms halted. Waves paused in mid-strike, and the girls stared at the portal. All eyes were on Tecna as she stood in the middle of the funnel, defiant and tall.

"Don't do it, Tecna!" Flora cried out. But her words were drowned out by the deafening roar of the funnel, and all she could do was look hopelessly on.

* * *

Tecna walked forward, pushing through the funnel. _Come on, come on... _But the funnel was strong, and rejected everything near it. Still Tecna pushed through, forcing herself past the inner walls.

She gasped as she was pulled into the funnel, into the eye of the storm. Here, the electrical winds swirled around her, a circle around the tiny center. She knew, without a doubt, that it would be impossible for her to ever get out.

Everything came to a halt. Time stopped completely, and Tecna stared down. The girls, the churning sea, the impending doom – everything could wait. As she stood in the eye of the funnel, she thought she saw a vision in its fierce winds.

_Anastasia__ was back home, only a few months after her surgery. She was so happy to be home, so happy to be out of the hospital. Her parents had never exactly been doting, but back then, they'd always truly showed her love. They'd taken her to a laboratory, owned by one of Papa's friends – Mr. Vasiliev._

_Anastasia didn't like Mr. Vasiliev. His teeth were scary white and he had a weird look on his face. But Papa liked him, so she knew he was a good guy. Papa would never be friends with someone bad._

_"Anastasia," the man – Mr. Vasiliev – said to her. "I would actually like to spend some time with you. I will return you to your parents in the morning."_

_Anastasia's eyes raised as she stared up at him. The man smiled, pointing her towards the door. "Come with me?"_

_She looked back at her parents. Mama looked uncertain, but Papa smiled, pushing her forward. "Go on, Nassy," he said affectionately. It was the last time he ever called her that._

_Yawning, Anastasia followed Mr. Vasiliev through the door. They walked through the corridor until they reached another door, which Mr. Vasiliev stood in front of. "Watch this." He held his hands together._

_The door began to slide open, leading to a circular room. Mr. Vasiliev walked in, motioning for her to follow. Anastasia stepped inside, and immediately gasped._

_The entire room was metal. A little bit of moonlight penetrated from a circle of glass at the top, which illuminated the room with an eerie glow. Around her were test-tubes, which were filled with weird, glowing purple liquid._

_Anastasia stared at it in frightened awe, shocked and terrified by what she saw around her. "What's here?" she whispered._

_"This is the heart of my laboratory," Mr. Vasiliev whispered. "Your father, Anastasia, has agreed to let me hire you as an employee. You will be working here."_

_Anastasia began to feel scared. "I don't like this." She moved to leave, but then Vasiliev grabbed the back of her shirt._

_"Now, there." He smiled. "What's the rush? You haven't seen the best part yet."_

_He steered Anastasia towards a chair in the center of the room. Cautiously, Anastasia sat in it, staring up at the shaft of light above her head. The moon glowed luminously above her head, bright and full. Behind her, she felt Mr. Vasiliev lift the back of her shirt and gasped. "What are you doing?"_

_"Hush, girl," Mr. Vasiliev commanded, his eyes on fire. He opened her control panel and placed a chord in, connecting it through the socket._

_Anastasia looked upwards. The purple test-tubes on the side began to turn, and she saw that they now had laser beams on them. _What's he doing?_ The beam pointed to her, illuminating her fully._

_And then she screamed as white-hot fire shot through her body._

_It was the worst pain she'd ever experienced. Worse than even the hover crash, or the first few days after the surgery. She let out a cry, sobbing as she was struck with unbearable pain. "Mama! Papa!" Above her, she could hear Vasiliev's laugh._

_The torture seemed to last forever. Dimly, she thought she could hear the scratching of a pen and murmurs of interest. When it was finally over, Anastasia collapsed out of the chair, crying and screaming. Vasiliev picked her up in his arms, smiling._

_"My little cyborg," he whispered. "I created you myself – without me, you would be dead. Don't you ever forget that." He uncorked her a golden vial, and forced the contents down her throat._

_The pain subsided, but she still couldn't stop crying. She felt completely weak and drained inside, as if nothing would ever be right again. Vasiliev smiled, and then pushed her into the chair again. It was then that she noticed what was in his hand._

_It was a steel remote._

_"You see," Vasiliev continued, "I have now connected this remote to your control panel, which means I no longer need the wire. I can control you from anywhere in the world. Look at this." He pressed the 'ELECTROCUTE' button. Anastasia screamed again as electricity zapped through her wiring._

_"That's what happens when you misbehave," Vasiliev said, his eyes dancing. "You've been a very bad girl today, Anastasia – I will have to inform your father. I hope you've learned a lesson about crying – it's never tolerated here."_

_Anastasia forced the tears from her eyes. Vasiliev stood up, and forced her off the chair. Then she gasped as he grabbed her by the throat._

_"Say one word to your parents about this," he whispered, "and I will kill you. _I have the controls_._ _Do you understand?"_

_Anastasia nodded woodenly._

_"You will work for me," Vasiliev continued. "You already know coding, and I will put you to work in my laboratory. And if you even _think_ about stepping out of line – well, just remember today. You are mine forever."_

Tecna blinked. The images in the winds disappeared, and they continued swirling around, just as fiercely as ever. _What just –_

"Don't do it, Tecna!"

She looked up, staring forward. Flora was flying towards the portal, a distressed look in her eyes. Green eyes met electric-blue as they stared at each other, worlds apart. In more ways than one.

_I'm sorry, Flora. I know I promised you I'd be safe, that I wouldn't hurt myself. But I have to do this. I hope you understand. _She focused her energy, trying to detect the fuse.

There it was, right in the center. She pushed it, forcing her way inside; the floor parted and created a tunnel.

She pushed through, focusing all of the energy she'd ever possessed to close the tunnel. _Cease your energy, come to me, come to me... Destroy no more..._

Eventually, the tunnels parted. The electrical fuse hit her, with the force of a thousand volts. But no pain came – unlike Vasiliev's torture, it was completely powerless. The electric whirring stopped, and she stared around, letting out an exhale of relief.

_It's gone_, she thought. _It's gone._

Then the tunnel began to shake. The inertia of her energy ceased to exist, and she plummeted down the bottomless chute. Darkness, the same as the darkness of that horrible night, enveloped her.

Then rocks closed in on her, crushing her utterly and completely, squeezing out her life-source. _I can't breathe… _But no matter how hard she fought, resistance was futile. Eventually, she gave in to the total, sucking silence of the closed portal.

And then, nothing remained.

* * *

**End of Part I.**


	25. Chapter 23: Battle at Cloud Tower

**Hello everyone, it's me again. I hope you're all doing fine despite coronacation (and that chapter I just posted). We're going back to Flora's POV as usual, and we're going to see today what happens in Alfea after Tecna disappeared into the portal.**

* * *

CHAPTER 23: BATTLE AT CLOUD TOWER

"I can't believe she's gone," Bloom sobbed.

The girls were in their apartment. It had been a long day, but none of them had the heart to sleep. They stayed awake, wide-eyed and trembling.

"She was so brave," Stella whispered. "I don't think I could've done that for my kingdom."

"And it wasn't even her kingdom to sacrifice for," Galatea added. The Melodian princess had joined them in their apartment, and was crying along with the rest of them. "But that didn't matter. She... she just gave her life for it."

Flora stared at them, bleary-eyed. The tears that had fallen after she'd witnessed Tecna fall into the portal would not come now. She felt drained and exhausted, her grief as bottomless as the chute Tecna had fallen into – there was no end in sight.

"She was so brave," Musa whispered. "Brave, when the rest of us couldn't be. She gave her life not just for my kingdom, but for all of us, so we could live."

Odd, Flora thought, that Musa didn't mention how they'd banned Tecna from coming in the first place. Odd, that she didn't mention how Tecna had deteriorated so far in the last months. Odd, that she didn't realize this had been coming for a long time. Those thoughts hung unspoken in the air.

"Is it true?" a voice whispered. Flora looked up and saw Chatta flying in through the window, followed by the other pixies. "Is Tecna really… gone?"

"Yes," Musa whispered. "I'm afraid so."

Chatta let out a wail. Flora rushed forward and cradled her pixie in her arms. "I'm sorry, Chatta," she whispered. She looked over at the other pixies, who were all hugging and crying along with their bonded fairies.

But it was Digit who was grieving the most. She had collapsed by herself, and no amount of persuasion would lift her up the table. Flora reached over to Digit and carried her next to Chatta; the two pixies held one another, sniffling.

"What are we going to do now?" Stella wailed.

The door opened, and Faragonda came in. "Girls, I wanted to check on you," she said, gently shutting the door behind her. "How are you doing?"

"Horrible," Layla whispered.

"We'll feel a lot better once we pay Valtor a visit!"

Everyone looked suddenly at Musa, whose eyes were flashing. Her mouth was in a thin line as she glared at Faragonda. "We've let that bastard destroy all of us – first he took our realms' treasures, then our friendships, and now, our girl Tecna! And we're not letting him get away with this! So I say we all storm Cloud Tower now and finish him off!"

"Yes!" Bloom, Stella, and Layla said together.

Flora stared at them uncertainly. _This can't be a good idea..._ She knew there was absolutely no way they'd be able to finish off Valtor. For one thing, he would be expecting them, and for another, their bond together was completely severed at this point. The Winx no longer existed in any form but in name.

And even if they did kill Valtor, it wouldn't bring Tecna back. Nothing would. She was gone, just as gone as the portal to Omega.

"You girls are not going anywhere," Faragonda said. "No one is leaving campus for any reason. The magical barrier will remain permanently up."

"Do you expect us to just _sit_ here after what he did to Tecna?" snarled Bloom.

"Tecna made her own choice," Faragonda said somberly. "She knew she wouldn't make it home, but chose to come along with you anyhow. In that moment, her fate was written for itself. And there is nothing you can do about it."

"You know, I kind of liked you better when you were a tree, Ms. F," Stella said suddenly, glaring at her. "At least then we could do whatever we wanted."

"You girls have already left campus without permission twice!" Faragonda shouted. "You're not leaving for a third time. I understand you are grieving, but I cannot lose the rest of you, too, not when you are our only hope against Valtor. You can hate me all you want, but you are not leaving the school. I will not allow it." She turned the lights out.

"Ms. Faragonda, I don't want to stay here tonight," Flora suddenly said. She had no desire to stay in the apartment, not when so many ill memories lingered here. "Galatea, can I come to your apartment?"

Faragonda looked to Galatea, who nodded. "Sure. I'll be sleeping in Nova's room tonight; I don't want to go to bed alone either."

"As you wish, Flora," Faragonda answered. "Now, off to bed. You girls need your sleep."

Flora followed Galatea down to her apartment. Mirta and Nova were waiting there, red-eyed and confused. Mirta held Flora tightly and whispered, "What happened?"

"Tecna's gone," whispered Flora. "She gone and she's never coming back."

Then she broke down, completely and utterly. Cold grief poured down her cheeks, and her knees capsized. She was only barely aware of Mirta's warm hand leading her to the bed, and collapsing next to her girlfriend amid sheets and pillows.

* * *

The next day dawned cold and grey. Breakfast was a solemn affair; by now, everyone knew what had happened to Tecna. Many of the other seniors were crying as they all sat at their tables.

And for the first time in weeks, Flora sat with her friends. Bloom had called a group meeting, and they all sat together at the usual table, the table she'd sat at before they'd all fought.

"So here's the plan," Digit said, fluttering in front of them. Her eyes were still red, and Tune gently held her hand as she spoke.

"Faragonda has sealed off everything, including the tunnels," she said. "Nothing is there. But I upgraded the barrier-breacher, and we're going to use that to get in."

"So, here's what I'll do," Mirta said, taking charge. "I'll use my illusion power to make Lockette, Chatta, Amore, Tune, and Piff look like you guys, because we know Faragonda and Griselda will be checking your apartment. And then you guys and Digit can go."

"Wait," Flora protested. "I never said I was going."

"What?" asked Layla indignantly.

"You have to," Musa declared. "Don't you care about avenging Tecna?"

"This won't help anything," Flora protested. "She wouldn't want us to do this."

Stella glared at her. "Well, we're going, even if you're not. So stay back and help your precious girlfriend if you want, but don't tell us what to do!"

Flora saw Mirta wince, and knew her friends were still sore about the secrets she'd kept from them. She put her arm around Mirta.

"Don't insult Mirta," she told Stella. "If you're mad, be mad at me, but not at her. She's done nothing to hurt you."

"Look, Flora," said Bloom, "are you coming with us or not?"

Flora didn't want to. She didn't want to go on a pointless raid which would do absolutely nothing to bring Tecna back. But she knew if she didn't go, the girls would forever label her as a coward. She took in a breath.

"All right," she said. "I'm in."

* * *

"Time to go," Digit said.

The girls were at Cloud Tower. Flora stood behind the others, following her friends as they flew up to the windows.

"Go!" Bloom screamed, and they slammed the windows with their powers, fire, sunlight, music, and Morphix hitting the panes. Glass splintered to the ground as they landed in the castle, glaring at the witches in the dining hall.

"Tell us where Valtor is," Bloom ordered.

"All hail Valtor," they chanted. "All hail Valtor!"

"Okay, that's just creepy," Stella said, looking disgusted. "I don't think we're getting anything out of them."

"Digit, can you scan and try to find where the power is concentrated the most?" Flora asked, feeling a wave of grief come over her. _That would usually be Tecna's job..._ Digit nodded and turned on her digisensor.

"There're two places," she said. "One, near the dungeons. The other, in the headmistress' office."

"How about this?" Musa asked. "Layla, Stella, and I will go to the dungeons. Bloom and Flora, go to Griffin's office."

"I'll head back," Digit said, turning around and escaping through the window.

"Sounds good," Bloom answered. "If we find him, we'll send you a signal!"

"So will we!" Stella said, following Layla and Musa. "Come on!"

Flora followed Bloom, a bad feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. _Something is terribly wrong..._ But it was far too late to back out now.

She swallowed, gazing around the castle of Cloud Tower. The place where Mirta had gotten her Winx. The place where, also, after completing her transformation, Mirta had fallen very ill. She swallowed, remembering how scared she'd been for her that night…

They had just fallen from the tower after failing to stop the Trix from taking the Codex. Dusting herself off, they flew back into the castle, ready to tell Griffin the terrible news.

"Where is she?" Stella wondered as they searched the castle. "She's not in her office, she's not in the Great Hall. Where has she gone" –

A scream suddenly filled the air. Flora jumped in horror, staring around. Musa's eyes went wide.

"That's Lucy's voice!" she shouted.

The girls ran down the hall towards the sound of the scream. Flora cried out as soon as she saw what was going on.

Mirta was lying on the floor, wearing a orange-and-blue Winx outfit. _She got her fairy transformation at last… _But her body was writhing and convulsing. Lucy cried out again in horror.

"We have to get her medical help!" she shouted.

"We need you to carry her out of the tower," Griffin ordered the Winx. "I already called the hospital, but no ambulance is coming within a hundred meters of Cloud Tower. Get her out of here!"

Layla created a Morphix stretcher, and Flora gently pushed Mirta onto it. "Here," she whispered, staring down into the girl's face.

She had never seen an expression so horrified or distraught. She couldn't believe that, after what had clearly been a moment of triumph, she was in such pain afterwards. _I need her to be okay… _Layla levitated the stretcher as they flew down.

As they flew, Flora could hear Mirta's wails, stronger than ever. She couldn't bear hearing her in such distress, or in such pain. As they flew out of Cloud Tower, her wails became even worse. Against her better judgment, she looked backwards and gasped.

Mirta was convulsing more than she'd been before. Her body was now twisting, and her fairy-wings seemed to be tying themselves into knots. But it was her eyes that terrified Flora the most. The whites of her eyes were as wide as the moon, completely agonized.

_I can't take this anymore._ She walked towards Mirta, placing her hands on her chest. "What are you doing?" Bloom yelled.

"I need to do something to help her!" Flora cried. "I can't let her be in such pain!"

"There's nothing you can do!" Layla shouted. "Do you want to make the situation worse? You could hurt her even worse than she is now!"

Flora stepped back, defeated. Behind her, she could hear the sound of sirens, the wails piercingly loud; even then, they weren't as loud as Mirta's. The ambulance parked, and an EMT came out.

"We'll take it from here." He hoisted Mirta onto another gurney, and carried her into the ambulance. Before Flora could even ask to go with them, the door was already shut, and they were off. The ambulance spurred dirt in Flora's eyes, and she cried out in pain.

_We failed. _They had failed to get the Codex, and now, there was no chance Mirta would ever recover. She lowered her head.

_We failed our duty to save the world._

And now, they were flying towards the top of the tower. Flora saw Bloom's mouth set in a thin line, determined, and thought that part of her determination came from how they'd failed in Cloud Tower. _She doesn't want the same thing to happen again…_

They slowed down as they reached the headmistress's office. Valtor was there, his back turned to them.

"It's over, Valtor!" Bloom screamed, and she shot her powers at him, Flora along with her. Flora concentrated all the energy she had, shooting Valtor with an ivy spell.

But Valtor turned around and contained their magic, simply sending it back to them. Flora screamed as she hit the wall, vines constricting her.

"You're strong, Bloom," Valtor smirked. "Just like your father, Oritel."

"Don't you even _dare_," Bloom snarled. "I know all about it. You went after him because you were jealous that you would never be king."

"Yes," smirked Valtor, "but I'm also the only person who knows about them. And I know how much you desire knowledge. If you were prudent, you'd listen to me."

Flora broke free of the vines and sent them after Valtor, her mind raging. _He's not hurting Bloom..._ But Valtor effortlessly broke them and turned around, smirking at her.

"I recently visited Whisperia," he said, "and I found a spell I think you'll find alluring. They love darkness." He shot a web of power at her, which she tried to dodge, but screamed as a dark haze enveloped her. Total darkness covered her vision, and she fell to the ground.

"Yes," Valtor's voice rang, but then he stopped. Flora could feel the heat of Bloom's dragon fire hitting him, and he gasped.

"Do you want to hear about your birth parents, or do you want to fight?"

_No!_ Flora willed. _Don't listen to him!_ But it seemed to have worked, for Bloom growled. "I'm listening."

"I faced both of your parents on Domino, sixteen years ago," Valtor said silkily. "I first trapped Miriam with a spell I'd learned on Eraklyon, concealing her in a rock prison. Of course my foolish brother came to her rescue, just as I knew he would. Oritel was very powerful; I could never have defeated him unless he'd lowered his guard to save his wife. And while he used his magic to save Miriam, I used mine to destroy them for once and for all."

Flora could feel Bloom's magical energy bursting with anger, flames rising above her. _Oh no... _She listened with fear, knowing this couldn't end well.

"And that's how it ended for both of them," Valtor said, and Flora could hear his smile. "Oritel and Miriam, the great king and queen of Domino. I'm so glad we could share this talk."

Bloom exploded. An immense dragon soared out, flying forward to hit Valtor, a power surely meant to kill. The room seared with the heat of a thousand wildfires, and Flora drew back in horror.

But just like that, the room became ice-cold. Valtor simply deflected her fire and froze her with an ice-spell, one that could've only come from the realm of Omega. He let out a charred, bitter laugh.

Suddenly, Valtor was slammed into the wall. As the spell faded around her, Flora stared in disbelief as Faragonda and Griffin entered the room, followed by Stella, Musa, and Layla. _They freed Griffin from her prison!_

Valtor glared at the women and girls. "Stop!" he shouted, slamming the two headmistresses. The two hit the wall, and Valtor let out a laugh.

But then they flew up, cornering Valtor and attacking him with all the energy they had. He yelled as he hit the wall.

"Okay girls, it's your turn!" Faragonda yelled, as Valtor slammed her back, momentarily preoccupied with the headmistresses rather than the girls.

Flora, Stella, Layla, and Musa focused their fairy-dust, showering it over the iceberg. The ice melted and Bloom collapsed on the ground, gasping in pain at the cold.

"Come on girls, let's get out of here!" Faragonda yelled.

"No!" Bloom cried. "We're going to kill him right here and now, for Tecna and Miriam and Oritel!"

Faragonda growled. "I'm sorry, Bloom, but not today! We're getting out of here right now!" She concentrated her powers on the girls.

White energy filled the girls as Valtor slammed all of his dragon fury at them. But just before the fire hit the girls, they disappeared, and everything went black.

* * *

"This is it," Bloom said solemnly, as the girls centered in the apartment.

A week had passed since their failed revenge on Valtor, under which time the five of them had been under tight surveillance. Their professors were keeping a tight eye on the girls, as was Griselda. No punishment had been meted out, because what had transpired was the worst type of punishment of all.

Once upon a time, there had been five girls. Five girls with a promise, to work together and become the strongest fairies they could, all the while fending off evil. And above all, they'd all been great friends, the best friends anyone could ever ask for. And when Layla had joined the group, that promise hadn't changed; if anything, it had become even stronger than before.

But that time was gone. From the moment Tecna had refused to come to the Princess Ball, their friendships had soured. Or maybe they had just fallen out of love. After all, there was no such thing as divine friendship, just the same as there was no such thing as divine love. Maybe they were never meant to be at all.

"I'm going to Pyros, the Island of Dragons," Bloom continued. "I have to go there now; it's the only way I'll get my Enchantix and tune in with my powers to defeat Valtor. But before I go"... She turned to the other girls.

"We have to disband," she said quietly. "It's over. Nothing's gone right this year - don't you see? We can't be the Winx anymore. We weren't good enough to save Tecna, and we can't save ourselves now."

"I agree," said Stella.

"Me too," said Musa.

"Me three," added Layla.

All eyes turned to Flora. She swallowed, knowing this had been coming for a long time, but at the same time, unwilling to break it off. But then she nodded. "It's over."

"Goodbye," said Bloom sorrowfully, standing up. "I'm leaving to Pyros tomorrow. I'm either coming back with my Enchantix or not at all. It's a long journey, and Ms. Faragonda told me I may die along the way. So if I don't ever come back – well, don't forget me. That's all I ask."

And with that, their unofficial club leader disappeared, leaving no one to keep the group from falling apart. Having no one to talk to anymore, Flora retreated to her dorm room, feeling more and more alone.

"This is it," she whispered. "It's all over."

And it seemed, as the twilight closed over her, that it had never existed to begin with.

* * *

**Yes, I know you all want to know what happened with Tecna, but patience! It will happen soon – the next upload, in fact. Her story is not over yet – not by a long shot!**


	26. Chapter 24: The Boy in the Ice

**Alright, here it is – the moment you've been waiting for. Let's see what's happening in Omega!**

**Guest:** **Thanks for the link! I'll be sure to check it out. What do you think of the story so far? Are you enjoying it? Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews.**

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CHAPTER 24: THE BOY IN THE ICE

Something was pulsing. Something foreign and magic and... electrical. It felt strange and unknown to her, something she'd never felt pulsing through her veins before.

Tecna opened her eyes. She was in an orange bubble, one that shined with flecks of neon green and purple. Staring around, she looked down at her naked body, at her neck, at her legs and arms –

Wait! She had legs and arms? Real flesh-and-bone limbs? Since when had _that_ happened?

Tecna gingerly touched her right arm, and gasped. It was completely solid, completely human. No wiring ran through them, and no circuits threatened to collapse her anymore. There wasn't even a control panel on her back anymore.

MECHANISMS UPGRADED, the feed above her screen read. COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS, NOW RUNS ON BEARER'S ENERGY.

_So I'm no longer dependent on the remote control_, Tecna realized. _That means Vasiliev can't control me anymore! _Feeling much lighter, she danced around, shouting with joy.

She still did have a control panel on her head, for her brain's wiring. But other than that, there was no electricity running through her body. Her right arm and leg felt a million times lighter now, for once on par with the rest of her body.

_I'm free! _Tecna thought. _I can't even calculate how free I am! _And for once, it felt absolutely, absolutely wonderful.

Orange sparkles covered her body, and she gasped in surprise. Something was buzzing over her torso, something digital and powerful. The sparkles faded to reveal purple, yellow, and lime green short-shorts and a tiny top, clothes her parents would faint at the sight of. Orange lightning snaked up her legs and faded to reveal purple barefoot sandals. A digital barrette appeared on her head, and a purple-and-orange pouch of fairy-dust appeared on a lime green choker.

_My Enchantix..._ thought Tecna. It all became clear to her now. She'd gotten her Enchantix not just by saving Melody, but by saving the whole Magical Dimension, which included Zenith. For she now realized that had she not contained that electrical energy, the whole dimension would've fallen to Valtor's chaos.

Something zapped her back, and a digital web spiraled out to reveal purple wings. Simple and efficient, they radiated with power, power that would enable her to fly much faster than before. She gasped in awe, and let out a cry.

_I'm so much stronger than I was before_, she thought. _No one can beat me now._

The bubble disappeared. Tecna landed on the ice floor, shivering at the cold. _I'm..._ She stared around the world, her heart sinking.

This definitely wasn't Melody. Melody wouldn't be this cold, not after it had just survived a disaster. No, this was someplace entirely different, a place that radiated with negative energy. She focused on her cyborg brain, willing to make a connection with a server somewhere around.

REALM OF OMEGA, her server read. TEMPERATURE 32.4 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. WIND CHILL STRONG.

Tecna stared at her feed in dismay. _Once I get out of this cave, I'm going to freeze to death! I can't get out!_

But what else was there to do – stay here and starve to death? She stared around hopelessly, trying to figure something out. An idea came to her head.

_I'll cast a heat spell_, she thought. _One we learned in Palladium's class. Yes, that should work. She closed her eyes._

It was a difficult task for her. Her power wasn't heat-based, like Bloom's or Stella's, and she certainly wasn't up to speed on anything in Alfea. But she could do it. She had to. She focused her power.

An orange forcefield shined around her. She gasped as an orange haze shined over her eyes, tinting her vision and warming her to the core. _This is so wonderful..._ Heat enveloped her as she walked out into the ice.

Her stomach rumbled; she hadn't realized how hungry she was. _I need to find food._ Scanning with her sensor, she stared around, trying to make sense of where she was.

She had never seen such a terrifying realm. Ice-statues were all around her, frozen in the face of the scariest convicts of the Magical Dimension. _I wish I'd paid more attention in History of Magic class… this place isn't safe…_

And how was she supposed to find food, anyhow? _Was _there even food in this realm? _How in the world am I going to survive? _She stared hopelessly at the ground.

_Maybe I can do a scan_, she thought. _Yes, that should do the trick. _She closed her eyes.

She could feel her sensors moving, in motion around the entire icy ground. For a moment, there was silence. Then, something beeped, and black words flashed across her vision: EDIBLE QUANTITIES DETECTED, ENCASED IN ICE. 1.53 KILOMETERS NORTH, 50.39 DEGREES EAST.

_That shouldn't be a problem! _thought Tecna. A kilometer's trek was a small price to pay for "edible quantities", as her scanner had put it. _Edible quantities… the other girls would get a kick out of that… _A wave of grief came over her as she flew forward.

She wondered if she'd ever be able to meet with her friends. _I don't think I'll ever be able to get out of here. _Now that the portal was gone, the only way to get to Omega was through spaceship. It was not for nothing that the Realm of Omega was far away from other realms in the dimension; after all, no one wanted convicts to escape and head to their respective realms to terrorize. Likewise, there was no one willing to come to Omega.

_They probably think I'm dead_, Tecna thought sorrowfully. _It's just as well. _She sighed.

Something was ahead of her. She squinted as she looked forward, and saw… something frozen in the wall. To be precise, frozen, raw fish.

"Finally!" Tecna gasped. Using her electrical energy, she blasted open the ice, catching the fish in her hands.

_Now how do I cook it? _Could she start a fire? _Maybe I can zap something and have enough of a fire to heat this up. _She focused her energy on the ground, holding the slimy fish in one hand and concentrating with another. _Come on… I've got to make a spark…_

Something was coming. She thought she could hear a crack behind her, some kind of rumble. _What's going on? _She turned around.

And froze as soon as she saw what was ahead of her.

An ice-dragon was flying towards her, its face monstrous. It roared at the terrified girl, nothing but anger in its depths. It let out a frosty breath, sending out spears of ice.

"Ahh!" Tecna dodged out of the way as quickly as she could. _I've got to get out of here! _The fish forgotten, she fled down the icy corridor, the dragon tailing behind her.

_How do I lose this thing? _What was the purpose of the ice-dragon, anyhow? Why was it here?

As if to answer her thoughts, the dragon opened its mouth, pointing towards the fish she'd dropped. It froze again.

Tecna stared at it in horror. _That dragon can freeze me completely… I'll be trapped, like the rest of those convicts! _She sped forward.

_I've got to find a way to hide… there's got to be something here…_

And then she saw it: a fissure in the side of the wall. Big enough to hide her, but not big enough for the dragon to follow her. _That's got to be it… I've got to get in there! _She flew into the crack, and, with great energy, shoved herself through.

The dragon roared in rage. Eyes half-closed with fear, Tecna watched as it glared at her from within her hiding-spot. Without warning, it shot an icy-blast through the crack.

"No!" Tecna yelled, and she shot a volt of electricity at the blast. _I'm not letting freeze me! _She watched as her electrical attack, colliding with the blast, formed into an icicle.

The icicle began to grow and grow, fueled by the dragon's incense. It grew until it hit the top of the roof, piercing into something. To be specific – an ice-shaped dome at the top of the wall.

Then the ice began to crack. Tecna screamed as icy flakes fell on her head, and she fought to shield herself.

_No… What have I done? _Terror coursed through her. _This structure is going to fall on me, and I'm going to die! _Frantically, she created a shield around herself.

The icy shards hit the shield and vaporized, letting out a hissing sound. Eventually, they all hit her shield. Exhausted, Tecna fell to the ground, her knees to the ice. _Thank heavens for my Enchantix… I could not have contained all that ice without it… _She closed her eyes.

But then she heard more cracks. To her shock, Tecna saw that all the ice wasn't gone. In fact, _more_ of the ice above her was cracking, and that a figure inside of it was breaking free. To be precise, a person.

Tecna stared up in horror. _Did I just release a convict? _She could scarcely believe it. _How is he still alive? He must've been trapped in that ice years ago! _She stared as the ice cracked completely, and the figure fell out.

_No! _Tecna focused her energy. _I can't let him fall! _Even if he _was _a convict, the humanity inside of her wouldn't let him fall to his death. She focused her energy, and let out a yell.

"Digital web!" An orange net appeared in front of her, and he hit the net, gasping in relief. Gently, he fell to the ground.

Tecna ran up to him, kneeling down. _I've got to find out who he is… _She pulled over his hood and let out a gasp.

It wasn't a man who'd fallen out of the ice. In fact, it was a _boy_. He had purple hair, Zenithian facial features, and extraordinarily pale skin. But it was his face that gave him away – it was very youthful, almost babyish. _Oh my stars… what happened to him… _She stared down at him.

She had no idea how she'd freed this boy from the ice. She had no idea, in fact, how he'd even ended up in Omega. _What crimes would a _child _commit? _She began to shake him, and he opened his eyes.

"Huh?" he asked blearily. "Where am I?" His voice was just as youthful as his face; it was high-pitched, not yet broken with voice-cracks.

"You're in Omega," Tecna said. "I don't know how" –

"I know _that_, silly," the boy laughed, jumping up. Tecna stared at him as the shockingly agile boy leapt out of her arms, and up to his feet. "But… where was I? What _happened_?"

"I don't know," Tecna answered. "You were trapped in the ice."

"So the ice-dragon froze me," the boy sighed. "Master Ying is gonna _kill _me."

Tecna had no idea who Master Ying was. All she knew was that this boy wasn't a convict. _There's no way he could hurt anyone… he's too innocent and carefree. _But then why was he here?

"Okay, then," she said. "So let's" –

She stopped as soon as she saw the boy lying on the cold ice. He was fast asleep, as if he'd never woken up at all. Sighing, Tecna lay down as well.

_I'd better get to sleep, too. _She closed her eyes, leaning against the ice-walls. Despite the cold, she found she was worn out, and in a few minutes, she was sleeping more peacefully than she had in a lifetime.

* * *

**So, what do you guys think? It was short, but a lot of potential is unlocked in this chapter. We have a new character introduced, which means new possibilities and new plans. What do you think of Cyros? Let me know how you feel!**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Flora travels to Zenith to try and find out what happened to Tecna.**

**\- Bloom goes to Pyros to learn more about her magical powers.**

**See you soon!**


	27. Chapter 25: The Sekhmet Tribe

**Hello, everyone! In this next installment, we are going to see what happens to Flora as she searches for clues about Tecna. We'll also see Bloom going through her own struggles.**

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CHAPTER 25: THE SEKHMET TRIBE

"I've made up my mind," Flora declared.

There was a silence, and Mirta stared up at her in alarm. "Flora, you can't"...

"I'm going," Flora answered. "I have to know what's going on."

It was Undecemensis 12, two days after Bloom had left for Pyros. Faragonda had lifted the all-day curfew, going back to the nightly closing of the Alfea barrier. Bloom was going to be on Pyros for at least a week, and although Flora was worried about her, she knew she had much better things to do than stay around moping.

And she had to know. She had to go to Zenith, and find out what had happened with Tecna. She had to figure out what her family situation was. There was no other way to get to the bottom of this.

"But Flora, what about Ms. Faragonda?" squeaked Chatta. "How are you getting past her?"

"She already gave me permission," Flora answered. "And she called a Red Fountain ship. So it's official."

She remembered the conversation she'd had with Faragonda, making her case about why she should go to Zenith. The headmistress had listened gravely, and then had nodded uneasily at the end.

"Thank you, Flora," she said. "Now I know that Tecna's problems most certainly had something to do with pressures from Zenith. I do wish you'd told me your suspicions before, Flora. We might've been able to help her."

Flora squeezed her eyes shut. _I wish I had..._ But she hadn't thought it her place to tell. A few tears leaked out of her eyes as she stared at the ground. _I could've averted her death. It's my fault..._

The headmistress took her hand. Blindly, Flora looked up and stared up at Faragonda.

"I apologize for my wording," she said. "I am not blaming you for the tragedy that occurred. Do not blame yourself, Flora. I've said this before, but it was Tecna's decision to sacrifice herself for Melody, and no one else's. She knew what she was doing before she did it. It was an incredibly brave sacrifice, and we will always remember her."

"That's why I'm going to Zenith," Flora whispered. "She's my friend. I need to know what happened to lead her down that path."

"Then you will go," Faragonda answered. "But beware, Flora, for Zenith is a place filled with secrets. You may have noticed that Tecna has been very aloof; well, there is a reason for that. Zenith is filled with people who value efficiency and status over love. It is one of the reasons why Zenith is as wealthy as it is."

"Why?" asked Flora, her heart sinking. "Why is that?"

Faragonda frowned. "A long time ago, Flora, Zenith was very communist. Similar to your realm, Linphea; however, the communism was centralized. In 16203 of the Age of Blood, the king was overthrown, and a harsh reign existed throughout the realm. A dictator by the name of Josef Sokolov took over Zenith.

"Under his realm, the people of Zenith were essentially turned into robots. Production was of the utmost importance; nothing else could matter, as Zenith had to rise to the head of all other realms, and later, lead the UR. Everyone had to do what they could to survive, and essentially lived in fear of Sokolov's reign. Hysteria and panic lived on, and people would continually report their neighbors for suspected crimes."

_So Zenith had a reign of terror_, Flora realized. _How horrible!_ She thought of Linphea, which, until a few thousand years back, hadn't even been a united kingdom. Although Linphea was very underdeveloped in comparison to other realms, its history was far less bloody, the culture very warm and inviting. The opposite of Zenith. She shuddered and turned back to Faragonda.

"Then," the headmistress continued on, "the Capitalist Revolution occurred. A new group of people overthrew Sokolov, forcibly turning the realm capitalist. They created an even harsher dictatorship, in which even more concentration camps opened. All expression, including religious or cultural practices, was banned. The ancient Zenithian religions all disappeared. This revolution lasted from the beginning of the Age of Unity to Year 738, spanning two-and-a-half generations. Magixian and Melodian entertainment programs, which together have a near-monopoly on the cinema, opera, and television, were completely banned in Zenith; instead, propaganda-like entertainment systems were created. All culture was wiped out."

"So that's why Zenithian people are so aloof," Flora breathed.

"Precisely." Faragonda nodded. "It is also because Zenith has an immensely large population; ten million people live within its borders. The poverty rate is at forty-percent, and another thirty-percent is still barely making ends meet. For the remaining thirty-percent, however, there is fierce competition to do well, meaning the social pressure to study hard is intense. Complete obedience is expected in Zenithian schools, and students work from eight in the morning to eighteen o'clock at night. Emotional expression is seen as an interference in doing hard work, and is therefore also strongly discouraged. I doubt your friend Tecna ever went out with her friends or even heard of pizza before coming to Alfea - Magix would've been a huge culture shock to her. She improved immensely in the past two years, because of you girls, and I am very proud of all of you. But now she has gone down, and we owe it to her to find out why."

"That"... Flora felt tears come to her eyes. "That's" –

And suddenly she was bawling, hunched over Faragonda's desk. _How come we never cover this in Realmwide History... I never knew... _Faragonda took Flora's hand.

"It's okay," she said gently. "I know we're too late to save her, Flora, but we will make it up to her. You'll see."

"Thank you," Flora whispered.

"So this is what you'll do," Faragonda said, handing Flora her UR Defense Association card for immigration. "I will book a commercial spacecraft for you to fly there. Jared Thompson of Red Fountain is in Kremniy on an internship, and will meet with you at the spaceport. He will fly you back to Alfea when both of you are done.

"In the meantime, I'll call Tecna's parents and inform them that you request an audience with them. Be warned, though, that they may be hesitant to answer your questions. It is always hard for Zenithians to trust anyone, especially complete strangers."

"I know," Flora nodded. "But it's the best chance I've got."

"And so it is." Faragonda nodded. "Good luck, Flora."

And now she was with Mirta and Chatta, explaining all of this to them as they sat together quietly. Mirta absorbed the information in silence, and then stared at her.

"But what makes you think you can do anything about it, Flora? You can't change their culture - that's the way it has been for a thousand years. You can't change who they are" –

"I know!" Flora ground her teeth in frustration. "But I'm not trying to change anything, Mirta; I'm simply trying to find out what happened to Tecna. Please, Mirta, please let me go."

Mirta stared up at her painfully, then nodded. "Go ahead, Flora. I'll be waiting for you."

* * *

Bloom gasped as she stared out the spaceship, taking in the view from above.

The Island of Dragons was a tiny planet, about the diameter of 500 kilometers. As they dove into its atmosphere, she saw volcanoes, green swamps, and lush rainforests ahead. Far in the distance, she thought she could make out a smaller planet, one that was entirely white. _That's Domino… _She swallowed hard, forcing thoughts of her birth-planet out of her mind.

She had to remind herself that, although not altogether unconnected, Pyros was not the same as Domino. In the Age of Discovery, Domino had conquered the then-larger planet, which had only been inhabited by dragons. Colonists had tried settling the land, but most had fled out of fear of the beasts. The few that were able to tame the dragons stayed on Pyros, eventually declaring their independence from Domino. In the Age of Blood, Pyros had been a flourishing nation, one of the forerunners of the dimension. However, natural-disasters, diseases, and decreasing population forced the nation to diminish considerably in prestige. Today, only about five-thousand people actually lived on Pyros.

Bloom would be heading to the Sekhmet Tribe's village, where she would meet with a friend of Faragonda's, a wise elder who had assisted the Company of Light during the Dominian Wars. She was her only hope for achieving Enchantix, her only hope for success. She swallowed, hoping that she would succeed.

"Here is Planet Pyros," Griselda said. She had decided to fly Bloom to the planet herself, which Faragonda had allowed her to do. As it was Sunday, there were no classes; this left her free to take Bloom. "Do you have everything?"

Bloom nodded, picking up the food, water, and supplies Faragonda had given to her. Griselda handed her a special interrealm phone, one that would work on Pyros.

"There is very limited connectivity here," she said. "However, there is one Realm Wide Web tower, located at the base of Fire Mountain. The people will show you how to use it. Now, do you remember your orders?"

"'Don't be stupid'," Bloom said, repeating Griselda's words from the journey. "'Listen to the Elder's commands. Don't be reckless or dumb."

"Exactly," Griselda nodded, slowing the ship so it hovered about ten meters above the land. She pressed a button, and the ship's lower compartment opened.

"I have to drop you off here," she said. "There is no tarmac on this planet – you need to fly down there yourself. The village is due north." To Bloom's amazement, she gave her a rough hug.

"Take care of yourself," she said gruffly.

"I will," Bloom answered, transforming into her Winx. "Thanks for everything." She flew to the surface of the terrain, staring around.

_This place is… not what I expected. _The vegetation was lush and tropical, but it didn't look like anything she'd ever seen before. Truth to be told, she'd expected something more like the photos she'd seen of Domino. Domino was much more temperate, with prairies and meadows and long grasses, showcasing every bit of landscape. Here, she couldn't see anything above the tall trees and jungle vines.

She barely got a second to look before she heard a loud roar. The ground below her seemed to shake, and she screamed, falling to the ground. Fire seared her back. She turned around, gasping as soon as she saw what was ahead.

A dragon stomped towards her, the color of lava. Its skin was rough and scaly, and its eyes were demonic. _Oh no… _It spewed out a torrent of fire at her, furious and dark.

_I have to be ready. _She struggled to her feet, glaring upwards at the dragon. "Don't even think about it!" she snarled, creating a burst of fire in her hands. She shot it straight towards the beast.

But that only incensed it further. It flew towards her, fury and anger in its eyes.

_I have to remember my Wrangling training. _She remembered what Codatorta had taught them in class, the basic rules of Dragon Wrangling. _Assume a threatening stance. Stare the dragon straight in the eye. Never show fear – only dominance. Have a rope ready. _She levitated the end of a vine, coiling it into a rope.

As the dragon zoomed at her, she looped the vine around its neck, holding it steady against the ground. It roared out in anger, but she was ready for its wrath. Using her Dragon Fire, she clasped a fiery ring around the dragon's mouth, preventing it from blowing out.

"Awesome!" she grinned, pleased with herself. "Can't wait to tell Codatorta this!"

Her elation was a second too soon. Using sheer force, the dragon broke the hot brand around its muzzle and stood up, breaking the vines. It opened its mouth wide, burning everything in its path.

Bloom's eyes widened in horror as flames engulfed her. _No… _She tried to repel the fire, but it was too strong.

_I'm going to die… this thing is going to kill me! _She closed her eyes. _I'm sorry, everyone…_

"_Calmus_!"

Bloom opened her eyes and stared in disbelief. A woman stood in front of her, raising her hands and gazing at the dragon. The dragon relaxed and fell back, releasing its fire into the air. Staring in shock, Bloom turned towards the woman.

The woman had dark skin and cream-colored robes. Her hair was white, falling down her back, and she held a curved staff in her hands. She gazed at Bloom, smiling as she motioned for her to come forward.

"Come," she said. "I have been waiting for you."

* * *

Flora walked out of the spaceport, staring at Kremniy. The ancient city, once the capital of a great, historic empire, was now the most modern city she'd ever seen.

Androids moved through the gutters, sweeping up trash and darting quickly out of peoples' way. Modern buildings lined the street, each building as colorless as the last. Snow was falling thickly, people muttering to themselves as they walked. Hover-rides were in ziplines through the air.

_So this is the famous city_, thought Flora, staring. For all its modern technology, it was nowhere near as grand as Magix, and had nearly no life. These were people, but at the same time, they just weren't people. She closed her eyes briefly.

"This is the Upper District of Kreminy," Jared said. Since he was already studying abroad in Zenith, he had offered to meet her at the spaceport. "The wealthy district. Here is your map." He handed Flora a navigational tablet.

"Thanks," Flora said. She wished Jared would be coming with her, but he had other business to take care of. As part of his study-abroad program, he was working with a Zenithian governmental worker in the Department of Homeland Defense, learning about advanced technology and its role in defending Zenith. His internship would be ending in a few days, right about the same time that Flora was due to return back to Alfea.

Biding a farewell to Jared, she walked onto the street, staring down at her navigational tablet. She would be heading first to the hotel where she'd been booked for. Not looking where she was going, she accidentally bumped into a couple.

"Oh... sorry," she said, smiling nervously at them. They didn't smile back. Instead, they stared at her blankly, confused and almost... petrified. Other people stopped in their tracks to stare at her, the same blank stare without any expression at all.

_Why are they staring at me?_ thought Flora. _And why can't they smile?_ She could hardly comprehend. In Linphea, everyone smiled at everyone, and people went out of their way to help mere strangers.

She awkwardly bumped through, trying to find a hover-ride. The man operating it looked at her and said, "Where you want go?" in broken Common Tongue.

"11 Kirov Avenue," she answered.

"90 rubles," he said shortly. She found Zenithian rubles in her pocket and handed them to him, and he pointed her off.

Flora got into the hover, the glass dome closing over her, and gasped as it flew down. It was the fastest thing she'd ever ridden in, even faster than flying. _This feels so unstable..._ She stared as the city zoomed by like lightning.

The hover dipped and turned. It was like a roller-coaster ride, only far, far scarier. _Help me... _She restrained a scream as the hover sailed down, through the zipline.

And suddenly, it tore from the zipline and launched through the air, towards the ground.

Flora screamed. _Oh no... _She stared frantically as the ground appeared closer at an alarming rate.

_I have to get out of here._ Slamming the glass dome open with a burst of floral attacks, she instinctively transformed, flying unsteadily just as the hover crashed to the ground.

People scattered as glass exploded everywhere. One shard of glass hit Flora, and she fell to the ground, unharmed except for the dull pain in her arm. Pulling it out, she pressed a towel to her arm, staring at the bright red stain that appeared against the white.

"That was a horrible crash," a voice near her said. She looked up to see a pink-haired man, nearly about Tecna's age. "It happened before."

Flora stared at the man. _And here I thought all Zenithians were unfriendly... _"Um... who are you?"

"I am Dmitri Porov," he said. "I was standing right here when it happened, ten years ago." His voice became hushed.

"I was thirteen years old. A hover just like that one was sailing down the zipline, and then suddenly fell off the rails. A group of people were inside, and were trapped as they fell. The medics came and shooed us out."

"Then what happened?" asked Flora.

"All of them died," the boy answered solemnly. "All, except - there was one girl there. She was in my class at school, but after the incident, she was removed. She became a _cyborg_." He said the word as if it was something disgusting stuck down his throat.

Chills went down Flora's back. She'd heard of cyborgs existing in other realms, but they were the most prevalent in Zenith. "Why was she removed from your school?"

"Cyborgs can't go to the same school," the boy answered, looking disgusted. "They're not the same as us. Their brains are different. That girl is probably working in the gutters along with the androids right now. Some cyborgs, they try to pass as people in order to get jobs. There's a covering they buy on the black market, to cover their robotic parts. But they are always easily caught. It takes a robot to be that stupid." He let out a derisive laugh.

Flora stared at him. _That's so awful..._ So not only were the people in this realm expressionless, but they also treated cyborgs as second-class citizens. _This is the worst thing I've ever heard of –_

"This is what happens!" a voice behind Flora shouted. "This is what happens under tyranny!"

Flora turned around. A group of people were encircling the plaza, their eyes grim, holding weapons and spells in their hands. _Aren't blasters and dangerous spells outlawed in Zenith? _But it didn't look like they cared too much about that. A man walked forward, shouting out loud.

"Death to the Premier's rule!" he shouted. "Bring down dictatorship! Bring down this reign!"

Immediately, the robots closed in on the group of rebels. Flora watched in fascinated horror as magical jets shot out of the robots' blasters, striking a man in the face. The rest of the people in the square scattered as quickly as possible. But the rebels stayed strong, holding their blasters high.

"No more!" they shouted. "The Great Premier must fall! No more dictatorship!"

_I have to get out of here! _More and more robots were appearing, and Flora knew that if she lingered any longer, she'd be arrested, too.

She darted out of the path of a robot, just as they closed in on the rebels. Swallowing, she ran down the street, looking for Tecna's house.

* * *

The village was filled with small huts. People came out of their places, staring as Bloom walked down the path. She felt self-conscious as they stared at her, taking in her form.

"Don't worry," the woman in front of her said. "They are just curious. It's been ages since we had visitors."

"Priestess Maia!" a voice in front of her called. Two children, a boy and a girl, ran up to the old woman. They had lava-red hair and deep brown skin. They squealed, speaking to Maia in a language that Bloom did not understand.

_Of course they don't speak the Common Tongue around here. _In fact, the people of Pyros didn't even use the Internet, although they did have phone connections. The two children stared up at Bloom, clearly confused. Maia nodded to Bloom, presumably saying something about her reason for being there. Satisfied, the two children sped off, leaving Maia to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Bloom asked.

"Set and Anat are quite eager to learn the ways of their people," Maia answered. "They were slightly jealous that I am teaching you before them, even though you have a far stronger command of magic than they do. They may be impatient, but they are quick-witted. I have confidence that they will be good dragon-protectors."

_Dragon-protector? _thought Bloom, surprised. _But dragons are a threat to their existence! Why would they want to _protect _them?_

She stopped as soon as they reached the center of the village. A group of people were bathing in a small stream, speaking and talking. Then they saw Bloom, and instantly turned around, staring in surprise.

Bloom felt self-conscious as the people stared at her. They seemed to be wearing barely any clothing – the men wore a cloth around their waists, and the women wore a long cloth tied around their shoulders and waists. She took in their features, their aged faces that seemed to speak of wisdom and valor, but also of incredibly hard lives. _They don't have any industrialization here… these people just live off the land…_

"Are you the foreigner who was granted rights to come here?" a woman asked. _So they _do_ speak the Common Tongue… _Bloom raised her head, nodding ever-so-slightly.

"Who are you?" a woman asked, in broken Common Tongue. _So they do speak it after all._ Bloom raised her head, nodding ever-so-slightly.

"I am Bloom, the princess of Domino," she answered. There were quite a few exclamations of shock. "When I was an infant, I was sent to a different planet, surviving the destruction of Domino. Now, there is trouble in the Magical Dimension, and Priestess Maia is here to help me learn the ways of your people."

"If there's trouble in your world, why do you need to come here?" a man asked. "Why should we have any part in it?"

"I" – Bloom stared at him, stunned that anyone would have any objection to her arrival there. "I'm not here for trouble. I'm just here to learn something that I can't learn anywhere else."

"We don't need you here," he responded. His voice sounded fierce, like that of a warrior's. "When foreigners come in, so does trouble. We just want to live our peaceful lives!"

"If I can't beat Valtor, you won't _have _lives, peaceful or otherwise!" Bloom answered, desperation rising in her throat. "Please, you have to help me! You have to let me do this" –

"One of our dragons has been attacked!"

Bloom whirled around. A woman was running towards the village-square, her eyes wide. "I came across a dragon with rope-burns and marks on his shoulder," she breathed. "He was attacked by someone, and is not pleased. He will not be happy with us!"

"Who would've attacked them?" The man from before asked. He turned his head, scanning the people in the square. "The children stay in the village, and so do our elders. The warriors know it is against our creed. It could've been one of the trainees, but I doubt they would" – His gaze reached Bloom, and suddenly, he froze.

"It was _you_!" he shouted. "_You _were the one who attacked our dragon!"

"It attacked _me_ first!" Bloom cried. "I was only defending myself!"

"Then that is proof that she does not belong here!" the same woman as before snarled. "She is just another conqueror from Magix, one that does not understand our ways! Turn her out! We don't need the princess of a realm that's tried to conquer us over and over again! Stop her, before she becomes" –

"Silence!"

The square froze as a man from behind Maia walked forward, a long white cloth draped around his waist. He had a gold chain around his neck, and a staff similar to Maia's in his hand. He halted next to her.

"Priestess Isis Maia," he said, great respect in his tone. "Has our guest arrived?"

"Yes," Maia answered serenely, not at all affected by the turn-of-events. "An old friend of mine messaged me and asked me to teach this young woman our ways. What she says is true. The world is in great danger, and we are the only people who can teach her how to defend it."

There was a burst of protest at this. "Why do _we _need to accommodate her, then?" the woman demanded. "Jabari is right! We should make her leave before" –

"Keket, hush," the man commanded. "Priestess Maia has great judgment. And if she says the world is in grave danger, then it is. I trust that she is taking appropriate measures."

"Thank you, Chieftain Horus," Maia said serenely. "May I take her to Fire Mountain to begin our lessons?"

"Of course you may," Horus answered. "But a word with you, princess of Domino." His tone grew stern. "We are not one bit like your people on Magix. We fight not with force, but with wisdom and understanding. Here, your status as a royal is irrelevant. Should you go against the ways of the Sekhmet Tribe, you will be deeply sorry." The look in his eyes signified that he knew about the dragon. "Understood?"

She nodded meekly. "Understood." She saw both Keket, the woman who'd yelled at Horus, and Jabari, the man who was ready to kick her out, shake their heads in disapproval. _I can't take one wrong step… _She swallowed hard.

"Good," Maia answered, leading her away. "Now let us begin."

* * *

"Hello?" Flora asked nervously. "Mr. and Mrs. Ivanov?"

A day had passed since the riot on the street. Today was Undecemensis 13, the day Tecna's parents had agreed to meet with her. Not hearing an answer, she tapped on the door.

The door creaked open. _What's going on? _In surprise, she walked inside, trying not to gape as she stared in front of her.

She could not believe it. Every part of the house was immaculate and unbelievably organized. There was no hint of disorder in the gleaming white walls and sterile rectangular sofa. Yet, there was something lacking in the house, something that didn't seem quite right.

For one, there was no security-system. She'd expected guard robots, or at the very least, some kind of digitally-locked door. For such a big mansion, there was nothing stopping anyone from walking right into the house.

For another, there was no physical presence of _anyone_. There were no servants to greet her, or the Ivanovs themselves. There wasn't even a droid hanging around. _Why is there no one?_

Cautiously, she locked the door behind her, heading up the steps. _Quite a lot of them there are… _She soon reached the top, gazing at the corridor around her.

The walls were all made out of steel. Steel door jutted out of the wall, barely visible in the dim light. She could make out three of them; one was small, and two were big. _So these are their rooms… _She vaguely remembered reading somewhere that Zenithian couples didn't sleep in the same bed.

_But where are _they_? _It just didn't seem right that, in this huge mansion, there was no one around. "Hello?" she asked nervously, knocking on the large door in front of her.

The door creaked open; again, there was no one in front of her. No sign of life; not a single person lived in this house. Flora stared in disbelief, trying to process what was going on.

_Maybe they went out on a walk… maybe they forgot I was meeting with them today. _But the reality was looming larger and larger.

In dread, she turned towards Tecna's room, the one with the small door. Pushing it open, she gazed down at the room that lay ahead of her.

On the surface, it didn't look any different from her parents' rooms. There was a steel bedframe with a bulky mattress, a chest-of-drawers, and a desk, all in the same configuration. Yet, there was something different about this room. _I have to see what's going on… _She walked up to the drawers and pushed them open.

Again, she couldn't make out much of anything. There were clothes in grays and browns, all of them extremely prudish. _There must be _something _here… _Frustrated, she rummaged through the closet.

Something fell out, in the shape of a hand. _What is that? _At first glance, it looked to be made of rubber, but when she touched it, it felt exactly like skin. She picked it up, staring at it in the light.

_Is this some kind of glove? _But what would Tecna need it for? Confused, she gazed around the room. It was then that she spotted Tecna's laptop, charging against the wall.

_That's my only hope of finding any information about her… _She opened the computer, wondering how she was going to get past its security-system. To her surprise, nothing was locked; on the contrary, Tecna's computer easily opened, clear for her to access.

_I don't understand… _How was it that both the house was unlocked, and then all of these computers? _Something's not right… _She opened the computer and stared at the screen. On the desktop background, there were crisp black letters against a gray background – in Unified Zenithian.

_Thank Linphèana for Interrealm Translate. _She opened a window, copying the words so she could read in the Common Tongue.

ANASTASIA MARIE IVANOVA, the screen read. DATE OF BIRTH: 06 UNIMENSIS 995. DATE OF DEATH: DECEMENSIS 31, 1012. CITIZEN ID: 61082048. PERSONAL COMPUTER ISSUED BY ZENITHIAN DEPARTMENT OF CYBERWARE.

At the bottom it said: CYBORG.

_What? _Flora stared at the screen, shocked. _Tecna's a _cyborg_? _She shook the laptop, unable to believe the word she'd just seen.

_No, that can't be true… _But the word stared back at her, unrelenting. In shock, she stared down at the glove-like object she'd found on the floor.

"There's a covering they buy on the black market, to cover their robotic parts." Remembering Dmitri's words, she picked up the covering. _There must be others like it… _She ran back to the closet.

_There they are… _At the bottom of the shelf were ten different arm- and leg-coverings, all of various sizes. She picked each of them up, marveling at how well Tecna had kept the deception up.

But something was still lacking. _I still don't know what happened to Tecna this year… _If she'd been a cyborg practically her whole life, then what had changed in the last few months?

_The computer can tell me_, she realized. _It can tell me what's going on. _Suddenly feverish, she grabbed the laptop, shoving it into her bag.

She didn't hear the robot creeping up behind her. Without warning, it suddenly grabbed her, picking her up roughly from the room.

"Ahh!" Flora tried to summon her powers, but to no avail. _What's going on? Why can't I fight this thing? _She tried to pull herself out of the robot's grasp.

In response, it tightened its grip around her neck. Flora knew that, if she tried anything, the robot would crush her windpipe. _Where's it taking me? _She felt the breeze on her back, and knew the robot had taken her outside.

"That's enough," a voice behind her said. "Let the girl go."

The robot dropped Flora to the ground, quite suddenly. Flora gasped as her shoulders hit the hard concrete, pain welling up.

Then she screamed as an electric volt hit her in the sides. _What's happening? _A voice drawled out above her, cold and terrible.

"Well, well."

* * *

Bloom closed her eyes, sitting cross-legged on the top of the mountain. Below her, rivers of lava swarmed past the peak, and fiery smoke wafted out of the volcano. She drew breath, feeling her fire heat up inside of her.

"Good," Maia said. "Now we may begin with today's training."

A few days had passed since her arrival here; it was now Undecemensis 13. Bloom was training with Maia, learning how to harness the full extent of her Dragon Fire. She took in a deep breath, feeling the flame warm her heart.

So far, her stay on Pyros hadn't been too bad. Nawa, the woman who'd announced the dragon had been attacked, had grudgingly agreed to cook for Bloom. She'd fed her vegetables stuffed with meats, or rice served with spicy sauces and kebab. The breads that went along with meals were much different from any she'd ever eaten, with many more herbs than she'd ever thought possible. _I guess they have to add spices in such a hot climate… _There was an abundance of fruits and vegetables at every meal, which energized her at every turn. Apparently Pyrosian vegetables had calories and "excellent meditational value", as Maia put it.

They had spent the entire first day, Sunday, learning how to connect with her inner flame. Then on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Maia had told Bloom to practice creating fire-dragons, in ways she had never before. She learned more about the natural world of Pyros, connecting her Dragon Fire with the essence of nature. Every morning they started with a meditation session, which involved connecting with the flame within.

And none of it had brought her any closer to her goals. She was nearly at her patience's end as she sat, frustrated with the fact that she wasn't able to do anything she sought out.

"This is the first step to gaining inner-strength," Maia said. "Without understanding the source of your power, there is no way to improve it. You must be able to connect fully with it, feeling it spark inside of yourself."

"But it's not helping," Bloom said, opening her eyes. _We haven't gotten any closer to gaining my Enchantix! _She needed the power soon, if she would have any home of defeating Valtor.

"Patience," Maia chided. "You think too much about the destination in mind. In order to learn anything, you must appreciate the journey. Otherwise, you are just the same as when you started."

_Then by the time I learn anything, Valtor will have conquered the universe. _Bloom sighed, lowering her head.

"We're going to continue with an encasement spell," Maia said, "now that you have control over your fire-dragons. Are you ready?"

Bloom nodded, transforming into her Charmix. She called forth a dragon, one that was filled with warmth and light. _Control the flame within… _She exhaled, and a fire-dragon flew out from her heart.

As it swirled around the summit of the mountain, Maia transformed into her Enchantix – a magenta set of robes with white wings. "Get ready." She lifted her fairy-dust into the air, pointing it at Bloom's dragon. "Allow your dragon to hold my fairy-dust."

Bloom narrowed her eyes, willing her creation to hold still. _Come on, let the fairy-dust through… _But her mind was too tense to let it in. After a few seconds, the dragon suddenly exploded.

"Argh!" Bloom shouted in frustration.

"You must relax," Maia said, coming up to her. "In order to master this skill, you must have naught but benevolent intentions and the utmost confidence in yourself." She lifted her pouch. "Let's try again."

An hour later, Bloom was ready to throw herself into the volcano. She'd tried countless times to encase the fairy-dust into her dragon, but had been completely unsuccessful. Every time it didn't work, Maia had made her sit down and do more meditation exercises, which did nothing but irritate her. _This is so annoying! _She glared at the ground.

"Let's take a break from this," Maia finally said. "I wanted to try something new, anyhow – today you are going to practice with the dragons."

Bloom snapped her head up. "But your villagers don't want me anywhere near one!"

"They mistrust you because of your upbringing as a fairy outside of Pyros," Maia answered. "You see, your history books label us as the dragon-tamers, the people who conquered the dragons. That could not be farther from the truth. In fact, it is impossible to tame a dragon."

"What are you _talking _about?" Bloom protested. "Red Fountain has so many dragons! Dragon-taming is an _art_!"

"I shouldn't say _impossible_," Maia corrected herself. "Anything is possible, after you've bred and beaten them out of character, making them naught but the softest puppy-dog. But the truest way to "tame" a dragon is through understanding. Do you the history of my people?"

"You came from Domino, my home realm," Bloom answered.

Maia shook her head. "That is, again, an error in your history-books. Only a small fragment of ancient Pyros comprised of Dominians. The rest were all native Pyrosians, people far older than Domino itself.

"Throughout the Age of Discovery, only about a few thousand Dominians actually settled on Pyros. Most of the tribespeople of Pyros viewed the Dominians with distrust, and rightfully so, as they were a conquering force. However, their conquest was largely unsuccessful; they were no match for the brave dragons who protected Pyros. The Dominians were left to starve on their own.

"Our tribe, the Sekhmet Tribe, was the only one who would help them. My ancestors offered them refuge and taught them their way of working with the dragons. The Dominians came to respect the Pyrosians, behaving less like a conquering force and more like an equal partner. They intermarried into our Tribe. When Domino sent more colonists to inhabit Pyros, only those who could brave the harsh climate and mighty dragons stayed; slowly, the other tribes came to trust them and allow them into their ranks. Later, Pyrosians and Dominians worked jointly to overthrow Domino's yoke."

"Our ancestors were, in fact, mainly native Pyrosians. However, a part of our ancestry _is _Dominian, which is why we, mainly the Sekhmet Tribe, have powers over fire." She created a small flame in her hands. "While ancient Pyrosian magic is based off the energy of dragons, Dominian magic is based off the strength of fire. Today, the people of Pyros have both powers, powers which they wield in their harmony with, not _against_, the forces of nature."

"That's… cool," Bloom admitted. She had never thought of working _with _a beast that wanted to kill her, but if it had worked for countless generations, she supposed she could give it a try. _If you can't beat them, join them. _"So what do I do?"

"A dragon's will is unbeatable," Maia answered. "You must connect with one, accepting his dominance and strength. You must fully surrender all ego. But most importantly, you must release all emotional baggage, which is why I've had you do those meditation exercises." She looked closely at Bloom. "I sense there is still emotional baggage you are carrying around."

"Me?" Bloom said in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"You are angry," Maia answered. "There is something that is making you tick with fury, due to perceived betrayal or mistrust. You have many, many regrets, which are sending your internal flame out-of-balance. You must find peace within yourself if you ever wish to bring peace to the world."

"I don't!" Bloom cried. "I"… Her voice trailed off, and she stared at the ground.

She was still angry about everything that had happened. She was angry with Valtor for destroying her friendships, for destroying Domino, and killing Tecna. _It's _his _fault this has all happened… _She was angry with the other girls for not trying hard enough to beat Valtor, that day in Cloud Tower. And she was angry with Flora for not telling her about the threat Valtor posed.

_If I'd known he possessed the Dragon Fire, I could've beaten him _months_ ago! _She clenched her fists. _What, does she think I'm some kind of weak Earth girl or something? Why couldn't she _tell _me? And why didn't she tell us about her relationship with Mirta? We're friends – we don't keep secrets from each other. If she and Valtor hadn't have torn us apart, Tecna would still be alive now!_

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't start you so soon after commencing your training," Maia said, pulling her out of her thoughts. "However, circumstances are growing dire, and you already have a reasonably strong control over your powers. I believe that if you are not ready for this now, you never will be."

"So, what do I do?" Bloom asked nervously.

"Normally, when trainees reach of age, they are sent into the forest to live with the dragons for two months," Maia explained. "Along the way, they live from the land and learn to communicate with the dragons. They reach a sacred temple in the forest, and there, they meditate for seven days without food. If they gain trust with the dragons, they are able to return as full-fledged warriors of the Tribe. If not, they don't survive. That is normally what our trainees would do.

"You, however, do not have two months. You will have to face a dragon right here, asking for his respect and wisdom. And remember, unlike last time, I will not be able to intervene. It is up to you whether you survive." Her eyes pierced Bloom. "Are you ready?"

"I'm ready," Bloom declared, fire heating up in her throat. _I'm going to come out of this on top. _Maia nodded, closing her eyes as a dragon flew out from behind the volcano.

It was the same dragon whom she had fought a few days ago. Her eyes widened in surprise as the dragon glared at her, clearly recognizing her for who she was. It let out a loud roar.

_I can't give in. _She stared upwards defiantly, letting her flame heat her up. _I will be strong!_

* * *

Flora opened her eyes. _Who is he? _She gasped in horror as soon as she saw the man above her.

A man wearing a black suit and green tie smirked down at her. His skin was entirely pale, and he had electric-blue eyes. _What kind of power does he have? _She drew back in fear.

"Are you… Mr. Ivanov?" she whispered.

"That spineless coward?" the man laughed. "No, I'm afraid he's not coming back for quite some time."

"I was supposed to meet with them," Flora said, her voice wavering.

"Indeed," the man smirked. "But I have been intercepting calls to this house for quite some time now. I told your dear headmistress that I'd meet with you, the darling Linphean girl. And now… here I am." He lifted the laptop out of her bag. "Quite the little thief, aren't you?"

_Oh no… _Flora thought in horror. She stared up at him, trying to look brave.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

The man bowed. "Igor Vasiliev, Senior Advisor to the Great Premier and Minister of Technology at your service. I also happen to be your friend's employer."

_How does he know… _"You know who I am?" she asked in disbelief.

"It was only a matter of time," Vasiliev smiled. "Oh yes, I know all about you. Flora Fernández, daughter of Sacniete and Rodrigo Fernández, sole Linphean fairy in her graduating-class at Alfea to receive her Enchantix. Even though your Enchantix is powerless against these robots."

_He's put a spell-resistant charm on them_, Flora realized in disbelief. _No wonder it's so hard to fight them!_

"What did you do with Tecna?" she challenged.

Vasiliev smiled. "Me? Absolutely nothing. It was she who created her own downfall. She was so brave, so noble, and so brilliant – all for nothing. She could've been a great programmer, but instead, she wasted her time on this childish fairy nonsense."

"What do you _mean _you had no part in it?" Flora glared at the man. "I _saw _her, night after night. She was unbelievably stressed and pained after working so hard. She had no time to hang out with us or her boyfriend. She had no time to be _human_. You took that all away from her!"

"Yes, yes," the man said, sounding bored. "She became a robot before her death. You outsiders all sound the same."

"Why did you do it?" Flora demanded, her voice cracking. "Why did you make her work so hard? What kind of a hold did you have over her?"

"You're not in much of a position to be asking questions," Vasiliev answered. "Listen, girl." His face was now mere inches from Flora's face. "You have a choice: you can come with me right now, and I'll introduce you to Her Magnificence. You can work for her, maybe even appear on screen. You Linpheans have heard of television, haven't you?"

"Yes, we have," Flora said through gritted teeth.

"You can be Her Magnificence's poster-child for the war," Vasiliev smiled. "You can appear on screen and tell your fellow citizens to stop fighting. Their war is a lost cause – if they haven't figured it out by now, they will soon enough."

"And what's my other option?" Flora challenged him.

"You can be my test-subject for my creation."

Flora gasped. _This doesn't sound good… _"What… creation?" she asked nervously.

"Oh, how careless of me," the man smiled. "The one your friend spent hours programming. With her data-analysis, she was able to get it through many tests and trials. All of that is wonderful, but we need a real subject."

"What is it?" Flora demanded. "Some kind of… weapon?"

"You could say that," the man smiled.

Flora's head was spinning. _He's going to use it against my people… _She glared up at him.

"No," she said. "I'll die before I do either."

"Brave to the end," Vasiliev smiled. "Of course, that can be easily arranged." He nodded to the robot. It moved astonishingly quickly, just about to get Flora…

But the nature-fairy dodged just in time. "Nature blast!" she shouted, hitting the robot with the spell. The robot easily absorbed the blow, and then advanced towards her.

"Vines!" she shouted, stomping on the ground. Magivines sprung from the earth, tying themselves around the robot. It lay on the ground, broken and decrepit.

"No!" Vasiliev shouted, and for a moment, his eyes looked monstrous. "You think you can destroy my creations, fairy? Think again!"

_I need backup_, Flora realized. Hoping the Zenithian police wouldn't see it first, she sent a green light into the sky, the correct intensity to notify the Red Fountain spacecraft's sensors. She held her hands together as Vasiliev smirked at her.

Something furious let loose in Flora. Without even stopping to think, she glared at him, letting all her fury out.

"You're a horrible man!" she shouted. "You don't even care about Tecna! People are protesting on the streets right now, begging for their survival, and you don't even care! All you want is to be the premier's right-hand man! Well, you can't beat down the resistance movement forever!"

"Oh, so are Linpheans now anarchists?" Vasiliev smirked.

"No," Flora said boldly, "but we don't care for big-governments, especially ones who subjugate and starve their citizens. Now _give me the laptop back_!" Without warning, she stomped on his foot; as he howled in pain, she grabbed the laptop out of his arms.

"Thief!" he hollered. "Dirty Linphean thief!" He pressed a button on his remote-control. "_Get her_!"

A rumbling noise sounded behind her. Turning around, Flora gasped as she saw hundreds of robots, all running towards her. "This isn't over!" she shouted. She flew into the air, hoping to escape from the robots…

But they simply glided into the air and flew after her. _There's no escape… _She watched in horror as the robots easily climbed over her vines, soaring after her.

_There's no pollen around here… nothing… _she realized. _I can't even use the nature around me to deflect these creatures!_

There was only one option – to fly as fast as she could. Activating her speed wings, she zoomed into the air, flying as high and fast as she could.

She didn't even have to look behind her to know that the robots were flying after her. _Those are some crazy-fast robots… _They had far more energy than her, she knew – they would catch her soon.

_Wait, I see something. _In front of her, she saw a red spaceship flying in her direction. "Jared!" she shouted, flying forward.

A trapdoor opened, and she zoomed into it. A second later, it slammed shut and locked. Jared stared at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Let's just get home," Flora panted, the laptop still tightly in her arms. She stared down in horror. "Oh no!"

Robots were swarming the sides of the ship, looking as if they were about to break in. Flora covered her mouth in horror.

"Don't worry," Jared said, grinning. "They just installed a new blaster on this this ship." He pressed a button. "Robot launch!"

A huge energy-wave slammed out from the sides of the ships. The robots were blasted off, falling to the ground.

"All right," Flora panted. "Let's get out of here!"

"On it!" Jared pressed another button. The ship zoomed into the sky, far faster than any fairy or robot could move.

Convinced the danger was passed, Flora sank into a chair, exhausted. _I didn't find the information I wanted… _She hadn't been able to meet Tecna's parents, or really find what Vasiliev was planning with her.

_But I figured out so much. _Why Tecna had been so aloof this entire time. Why she'd been unable to express her true self around the other girls. She stared at the laptop, determined to uncover its secrets for once and for all.

_I'm sorry, Tecna_, she thought silently. _I'm sorry you had to go through all this. But I won't let you down. I won't let Vasiliev win. _Tears stung her eyes, but she shook them away. _I won't let a horrible man like him ever come to power._

* * *

The dragon curled over her, its amber eyes glimmering with fury. Bloom tried to stand tall, but her very boots were quaking with fear. _No! Don't be scared of that beast! _She gritted her teeth.

"Stare him in the eye," Maia called, sitting cross-legged in front of her. Her eyes were still shut, and she did not look at all fazed by the dragon flying right above her. "Show him that you are not a threat."

She stood as tall and strong as possible, gazing up into the dragon's eyes. Her legs continued to shake with fear as she stood in her Winx form, her wings glittering. _Stop being so afraid! Show it who's boss! Show it who's –_

"Do not try to stamp out your fear," Maia called. "The dragon will know you are trying to hide it. If you are ever to become in-tune with your powers, you must have nothing to hide! Remember, courage is not the absence of fear, but the power to continue in spite of it."

_Shut up! _Bloom gritted her teeth. She stared up at the dragon, taking in its immense eyes. _I think I feel some kind of connection with it… _It stared down at her, heat in its eyes.

And then it spewed fire at her.

"No!" Bloom shouted, containing the fire in her hands. _It didn't work! _She flew upwards, heat and fury in her eyes. "Take _that_!" she shouted, slamming it with a fireball.

"Bloom, no!" Maia shouted. "If you are fighting with force, you have already lost! You will never be able to connect with the dragons!"

_It doesn't matter! _Bloom seethed. _This stupid dragon is getting in my way! Just like Valtor! _Rage built up inside her throat. _I need to subdue it!_

She flew over the mountain-peak, dueling the dragon expertly. Flame and fire roared, burning the landscape below. The dragon was tough and defiant, but so was she, and she had an excellent command over her magic. _No more playing nice. _Her aura glowed brilliantly, and red flames licked her eyes.

The next thing she knew, the dragon was slinking away, bellowing in rage. It retreated to the forest, and she glared after it. "Get out of here!" she shouted, flying to the ground.

She landed on the terrain, exhausted. _That was some hard work… _Transforming back into her civilian form, she looked up and froze.

The entire village was covered in ashes. Burn-marks were over the buildings, and flames still gathered behind her. All that remained was a charred village-square, many half-burned huts, and a group of very angry villagers in front of her.

* * *

**Next chapter:**

**\- Tecna finds out more about the boy she rescued.**

**\- The Trix attack the Sekhmet Tribe.**


	28. Chapter 26: The Flame Within

**It's so nice out today, where I live – it's very warm. I'm really looking forward to getting out. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

CHAPTER 26: THE FLAME WITHIN

Timmy sat in Physics class, his eyes half-closed. He had barely slept last night, the previous night, or all of the past fortnight. The fight he'd gotten into with Tecna still lingered in his head, never to go.

_"I can't believe this," he said. "I... I thought you were different from the others, Tecna! I thought you loved me!"_

_"I... do," Tecna whispered._

_ "Then say it," Timmy said harshly. "Say it, so I know where I stand."_

_ Tecna closed her eyes. Timmy thought he could see the pain in her eyes, the pity she'd probably felt towards him, the sadness and fear she'd always carried. For a foolish, hopeless second, he thought she'd be strong enough to surmount it, that she would rise above._

_ But then she bowed her head._

_ At that motion, Timmy felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. He stood up, gazing at her sadly. "I was a fool, then. I'm sorry I ever wasted your time."_

_ The engine of his hoverbike rammed loudly as he sped off campus, a disguise for his pain. Only when he was in the forest did he let his tears fall._

The bell rang, bringing Timmy out of his thoughts. All of the students stood up, putting their

"Homework – five diagrams on quantum physics," Professor Rodrigo called. "Make sure you're done by tomorrow."

The words barely passed over Timmy's head; he hadn't done homework in two weeks. Nobody had asked him to turn anything in, though he knew it was only a matter of time. A few of his classmates shot him awkward glances as he walked down the steps.

He was glad Sky, Brandon, or Riven weren't in this class with him. None of them cared for math or physics, which, in Timmy's opinion, was a mistake. He'd taken all of the math and physics classes offered at Red Fountain, few though there were – they had taught him much that had aided him in his battles. He turned towards the dorms, passing by the Aviation deck.

He froze as he saw Mirta climbing down the Aviation deck, gazing at him. _Oh, right – today's her class. _Mirta had Introductory Aviation on Tuesdays. "Timmy," she said, looking awkward.

"Hi," Timmy responded, gazing down. He wanted nothing more than to punch something and let out all of his anger. He couldn't believe he had been such a fool. He'd been so insensitive to Tecna's needs, letting his selfishness cripple him.

_I broke up with her when she needed me most. _And now, she was gone, disappeared off the surface of Melody. He clenched his fist

"I'm headed to the forest, back to Alfea," she said, "My classes are all done for the day." She gazed at him. "Want to come?"

Timmy didn't want to go _anywhere_. But he knew that if he stayed on campus, he'd be bugged by countless people, all of whom would try to lift his spirits. "Sure," he finally said, following her towards the elevator.

He had never said so much in words, but he'd found that, over the past weeks, he'd appreciated Mirta's companionship. Mirta, who never tried to insist that things were all okay. Mirta, who never tried to force him from his sadness. Mirta, who never tried to pretend as if Tecna had never existed. He let out a sigh, gazing at the trees before them.

Now he didn't feel like hitting things anymore. No matter what he did, it wouldn't change the fact that she was gone. He sank to the ground, letting out a sob.

"She's – gone" – he choked out. Mirta sat next to him, her expression sad as she gazed into his eyes.

"It's horrible, isn't it?" she whispered. "When everyone tries to insist that things will be okay, when they're not?"

"Yes!" Timmy gazed up at Mirta. "I just _hate _this. Hate how everyone's acting so helpless! I hate that she's gone!"

"Timmy," Mirta whispered, "this isn't your fault. I know you feel horrible about this, but you can't blame yourself for what's happened."

Timmy couldn't answer. No one knew about how he'd broken up with her, or what he'd done. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, for he didn't want anyone to hate him as he hated himself. Tears fell onto his glasses, clouding his vision.

"I know there's nothing I can say or do to make it better," Mirta said, "but I'm here, with you. Cry as much as you need to cry. It's okay."

_It's _not _okay_, Timmy thought. _Nothing will absolve me of my sins. _But he couldn't say any of this to Mirta. He bent over, his shoulders shuddering as he collapsed on the ground.

* * *

"I am _so_ sorry," Bloom breathed, staring in alarm at the ruins around her. But no one was paying attention. The villagers glared at her, fury in their soot-covered faces and death in their eyes.

"Look at what she's done!" Keket snarled, pointing straight at Bloom. "Our lives were peaceful until this… _pyromaniac _came here!" Bloom backed up a few steps, terrified.

"Turn her out!" Jabari yelled.

"Send her to the forest!" Nawa shouted.

"Let her face the dragons' wrath!"

On and on they shouted. Bloom wanted to run, to hide, to break down into tears and tell them how sorry she was. But she couldn't do any of that. She stood rooted to the ground, terrified.

_I can't believe I did this. _She closed her eyes. _I practically destroyed their village. _The children stood behind their parents, staring up at Bloom with frightened eyes.

"Enough!" shouted a voice. Bloom didn't even have to turn around to know it was Horus. The man walked in front of her, standing before his tribespeople. "On behalf of the Sekhmet Tribe, you are hereby banished from our village. If we see you ever again, we will treat you like an enemy and chase you off. You are to leave and never come back."

Bloom stared at him in shock. _I'll die there! _But that didn't seem to matter at all to the Sekhmet people. Jabari raised his spear.

"Get out!" he shouted.

Blindly, Bloom turned around and ran, the shouts of the tribespeople echoing after here. She ran for what seemed like hours, not letting herself stop for anything. Only when she'd reached the desolation of the forest did she slink down to the ground and cry.

* * *

Tecna awoke. Grimacing, she sat up, gazing at the ice-roof above her head. _What happened? _Then she saw the boy sleeping next to her, and remembered.

_We're stuck in a crevasse_, she realized, _and we need food. _She shook the boy awake. His eyelids fluttered, and he stirred awake.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"We need to get out of here," she said. "I'm going to check if it's safe."

She walked towards the ice-formation. _The dragon's not here… hopefully… _Concentrating her scanners, she closed her eyes.

ACTIVATING KILOMETER RADIUS SCAN FOR DRAGON, the scanner read. After a few moments, it responded: DRAGON PRESENCE NEGATIVE.

Tecna breathed a sigh of relief. She turned towards the boy, who was staring at her in surprise.

"We're safe," she said. "Let's go."

"How'd you know that?" the boy asked in surprise.

"I'm a cyborg," she answered, gruffly, "and I have scanners. Come on, let's get out of here." She blasted the crystals apart and jumped down from the crevasse.

"What's a _cyborg_?" the boy asked, confused.

Tecna turned around, staring at him. "Are you serious?" _How does he not know what I am?_

"Yeah," the boy said, looking confused. "What does 'cyborg' mean?"

"It means I have a computerized brain," she said flatly. Seeing that he still looked confused, she let out a sigh. "My brain is able to scan the environment around us."

"Wait, so you mean like some kind of advanced tracking-spell?" the boy asked, looking excited. "Master Ying was gonna teach me, but maybe _you _can teach me on our way back home! Your power is awesome!"

"Yeah, well, you're the only one who thinks so," said Tecna, a wave of bitterness rising in her throat. _No one on Zenith would accept me for who I was… but this boy is a different species all together… _She gazed at him. The boy was dancing around, looking happy at being awake.

"Come _on_," she said. "We need to find food."

"Oh, _food_?" The boy stopped dancing, and stared at her in surprise. "I know where to get some! There's a river under this cavern, filled with fish."

"You mean there's something that _isn't _frozen around here?" Tecna asked in surprise.

"Yeah," the boy grinned. "Master Ying and the others found a place where the ice-dragons can't go, 'cause it's too warm. We're supposed to stay down there, but I come up here every now and then."

"Maybe you should've stayed down there," Tecna muttered. "I don't know why anyone in his right mind would want to be up here." She let out a sigh.

"All right," she said. "Lead the way."

* * *

It was a full moon on Pyros that night. The moon was bloodred, a shade of garnet that sent chills down Bloom's spine. She sighed as she lay down on the forest-floor, exhausted after a long day's trek.

She was amazed no dragons had caught up with her. All day, she'd been wandering the forest, and had eaten absolutely nothing. All she had was a bottle of water, but that was diminishing rapidly. Hunger rumbled in her stomach as she stared down at the grass.

She couldn't call Griselda and tell her to get her. She couldn't bear the knowledge that she'd failed, or the knowledge that she'd failed. _I told them I'd either come back strong enough to beat Valtor, or not at all. _And she would stick to that vow, even if it meant the end.

Suddenly, something brilliant shined in the sky. Bloom's eyes widened as she stared upwards, at what streaked the sky. _A comet… _She stared at the dazzlingly red flame as it shot across the sky, illuminating the forest with orange. Standing up, she felt a sudden urge to follow in the direction of the comet, awed by the brightness it held.

"I'm coming!" she shouted, pulling herself to her feet. Pack forgotten, she ran down the forest, suddenly hot with energy. The comet disappeared into the sky, and Bloom drew to a stop, growling in frustration. _What was I even running for? _She drew to a halt and gazed to her left, in the direction of the moon. It was then that she froze.

A stone edifice stood in front of her, with columns and arches at its front. Steps led up to its entrance, flanked with statues of gods and goddesses on the way. At the top of the edifice was a statue of Rafada, the father god of Pyros, entwined with the Great Dragon of the universe. The moon shone down on the temple, illuminating it with red light.

"The stone temple," Bloom breathed, her eyes wide.

She took a step forward, walking into the temple. Although it was clearly very old, probably as old as the ancient Dominian settlers themselves, it had the same mystical value as the more modern temples she'd seen in Magix. She walked in, staring around.

Compared to the outside, the inside was very bare and primitive. It merely consisted of four walls, a ceiling, and an altar in the middle. In place of windows, there were torches on the side of the room. Bloom stepped into the chamber, taking it all in at once.

Immediately, the door shut, descending the temple into darkness. She gasped in alarm and tried to open it, but the door would not budge. _I'm trapped… _Panic overtook her, and she remained rooted to the spot.

_I left my water in the forest! _Anger overtook her as she stared at the ground. _What kind of an idiot am I? _She stared around at the chamber before her, although she could not see a single thing. Not a single speck of light crept in through the door.

_Then I guess I'll have to create my own. _She walked up to the altar and sat cross-legged, placing her palms together. She transformed into her Charmix. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the meditation-exercises Maia had taught her, learning how to wield fire in her hands…

_Breathe_, she told herself. _Focus on the fire within. Feel it warming your heart with its splendor. _She felt it warm her body, the spark of the Dragon's Flame heating in her palms. Lifting her hands, she placed the fire in the altar, offering it to whichever gods there were above.

Immediately, the torches all around her lit up in flames. Light and shadows both bounced off the walls, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. "What?" she gasped, staring with amazement at the flames that burned near her. _There're so many of them… _Red, orange, yellow, blue, and white flames all lit in an arc around her, filling the room with strength. Smoke wafted through the fire, making her cough.

_But Dragon Fire doesn't emit smoke! _Nonetheless, there it was, burning her throat and lungs. She realized, with dismay, that someone must've put herbs in the torches, herbs that would create this kind of incense.

Her head became light, and she found she could no longer breathe. Her eyes closing, she collapsed to the ground.

"Aha," she said vaguely, and then fainted.

She came to slowly, lifting her head into the smoke. It burned around her, but unlike before, it had no detrimental effects on her health. She stared around, bewildered and confused.

Something was changing in the smoke itself. Although it was still burning, it had changed into a different property, one that was not of ashes and destruction, but of goodwill and light. _I need to combine my powers with it… _She placed her hands on the altar, focusing her energy into the temple. The smoke simmered, growing darker and darker with each touch.

And then it spiraled around her and burst into light.

Bloom stared with disbelief as she gazed into the light of the fire, at the reds and yellows and greens and blues that swirled around her. Her feet lifted off the ground as she stared at every color imaginable that was in that fire, the fire of creation and life.

She saw exactly what she'd been meant to see all along.

When the Great Dragon had spread his roots to the world, creating the five original planets of Summa, Linphea, Earth, Andros, and Domino, his power had been not of destruction and chaos. His power had been one of benevolence, creating the universe as it was, which included the dragons of Pyros. Without his energy, there would be no life as it was today. His power had been entrusted to her ancestors, the people of Domino.

But with great power came great responsibility, and it was her job to make sure the power would always be for the greater good. It was her responsibility to burn according to the will of her people before. She stared into the flames, peace overtaking her.

And then she heard Maia's voice: _"You must find peace within yourself if you ever wish to bring peace to the world."_

_I'm going to let it go. I'm going to let it all go into the flames. _She closed her eyes, the brilliance of the fire still in her eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she let it all out.

She released her fury with Flora, her anger that she hadn't told her about Valtor. She released her anger about Tecna's death, accepting Fate's path over her destiny. She even released her hatred of Valtor, abandoning personal resentment about what he'd done. _I will destroy him, but not because of hatred and anger – because I need to keep balance in the natural world. _She closed her eyes.

The flames evanesced into the altar, dimming completely. She stood up, feeling strength and fire course through her. _But I still haven't gotten my Enchantix – my mission still isn't complete. _She felt sadness course through her, disappointed that she'd never find her light.

Then a cold voice filled the air outside the temple. She froze, leaning quietly against the door.

"They're not holding Bloom in that pathetic thing they call a village," a loud voice complained. "Seriously, where could she be?"

"Quit your witching," another voice answered. "I iced them into a deep freeze which they won't wake up from until the next Age. They'll talk soon, trust me."

_The Trix! _Bloom realized in horror. Stormy and Icy were somewhere in the forest, and were talking about _her_. _They froze over the village? _She gasped in horror.

"And in the meantime, we're wandering in this stupid forest?" Darcy complained. "Where is Bloom?"

The door slammed open. Bloom stood on the steps of the temple, fury in her eyes as she glared at the witches.

"I'm right here."

* * *

They found a pond with minnows. Tecna stared, perplexed, while the boy stared around.

"I don't get it," he said. "There's an entire river here! What happened to it?"

Tecna scanned the area, frowning. "Well, I don't see any rivers here," she said. "If you want, I can scan this place." She activated her sensors, staring around.

ONE-KILOMETER RADIUS, the scanner read. ONE BODY OF FRESHWATER, LOCATED 1 METER NORTH, 3.48 METERS EAST…

"Yeah, thanks," Tecna muttered. She turned towards the boy, who was frowning. "There's nothing here for another kilometer. _This _is all there is."

"I don't _get_ it," the boy said in surprise. "There's supposed to be a river here. I used to get fish all the time" –

"Well, there isn't." Tecna gazed into the pond, which was filled with minnows. "These minnows are better than nothing at all. We'd better eat."

She caught some and killed them with an electric blast. The boy rubbed two sticks together and, with Tecna's help, started a fire. Once the fish had cooked, the two settled down to eat, the warm glow of the fire on their faces.

"So, what's your name?" Tecna asked as they heated the fish. "I can't believe I didn't even ask you before."

"Name's Cyros," the boy said cheerfully, biting into the fish. "This is delicious!"

"Anything will taste good after we've been hungry for so long," Tecna agreed, biting into hers. The boy's name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place a finger on it. "My name's Tecna."

"Ooh, Tecna!" the boy said excitedly. "Cool name! Does it have, like, anything to do with technology?"

_Is this kid daft, or what? _"It's not my real name," she answered. "It's just a nickname I go by."

"If it's not your real name, why do you use it?" he asked in confusion. "What's your real" –

"_No_." Tecna drew the conversation to a halt. "I'm not using that name. I don't want to be reminded of Zenith. Ever." She stared bitterly at the ground.

She couldn't allow herself to think of Zenith. The moment she thought of her home-planet, or of Magix, her wiring ached with a sadness she'd never felt before. _They're gone… _She stared vacantly at the ground.

"Oh," Cyros said, his face drooping. "Well, wish _I _knew more about Zenith. I was born there, but I don't know anything about my homeland."

Tecna stared at him in surprise. _I _knew _he looked Zenithian… _"You were born on Zenith?"

"Yeah!" Cyros grinned. "So are some of my friends down here. Master Ying was born on Melody, though. Ooh, I have an idea! How about we bring some fish to Master Ying? It might make him less mad I disappeared into the ice!"

"Um… okay," Tecna said awkwardly. The boy jumped up in delight.

"Yippee!" he shouted. "I can't wait for you to meet him!"

He immediately raced down the cavern. Tecna stood up as fast as she could, calling after him. "Cyros! Wait up!"

She flew after him. The boy ran excitedly, holding the fish in his hands. "I can't wait for him to see what I've gotten him!"

"Cyros! Stop!" Tecna scolded him. The boy skidded to a halt. "We don't know what's down here! You've got to be careful!"

"There's nothing here," Cyros giggled. "This is Master Ying's village, home to the Gatekeepers of Omega. It's totally safe here! We're fine!"

"Doesn't look like much of a village to me," Tecna muttered. In the dim light, she couldn't make out any buildings or homes. In fact, there were no lights at all to be seen.

"They sometimes turn off the lights," Cyros said with a shrug. "But I'm sure there's a lot of people here" –

"There's a lot of loot to be found here, that's for sure!" a voice in the distance called.

Tecna froze. _That voice didn't sound friendly at all… _She grabbed Cyros and put her hand to his mouth.

"Let's hide!" she hissed.

The two hid behind a boulder. They saw a man holding a lantern, with a group of people behind him. Cyros stared at the lantern light in disbelief. He gasped at what it illuminated, what was behind the man.

"That's Master Ying's house!" he gasped.

"Shh!" Tecna said anxiously as one of the men looked suspiciously around.

"That's strange," he said. "I thought I heard voices."

"That's just your imagination, as usual," the other man snorted. "No one's here; this place was cleaned out centuries ago."

"What's he talking about?" Cyros gasped. "Master Ying! He's in that" –

Tecna shoved a rock in Cyros's mouth. "Shut _up_," she hissed. Frowning, she focused her attention on the man with the lantern and his gang.

"Remind me again _why _we're here, if this place was cleaned out centuries ago?" one of his men complained.

"This place is of magical importance," the head man answered. "The Gatekeepers of Omega used to live here, after all. If we can find some spells in here, we can bust outta this place and find a life for ourselves."

"We haven't found anything yet," a third man complained.

The head man responded by slamming him on the head with his lantern. The man let out a yell.

"Shut up!" he shouted. "Do you have any idea how hard our ancestors labored? As soldiers of the Fifth Dimensional War, Whisperia's finest generals, they fought fiercely, only to be shoved into _this_ rat-hole. And we're not going to let their legacy ruin us! No, we're gonna get outta here and make a real life for ourselves!"

_They're the descendants of war-criminals! _Tecna realized. _But the ice in Omega is supposed to kill its prisoners! How did these war-criminals have children? _How did Cyros survive, for that matter?

"Go and scout, like a proper man," the lead man hissed. "All of you, go. I'm not going to let our legacy be destroyed!"

The men disappeared. When they were out of sight, Tecna finally pulled the rock out of Cyros's mouth, gazing down at the boy. His eyes were wide, and he stared at the ground.

"I don't get it," he said, looking utterly confused. "My people – what happened to them? What happened to Master Ying and his family and all those people he took in? Papa sent me here so they would protect me! He didn't want me to get hurt by the chaos on Zenith!"

"Cyros," Tecna said, a bad feeling settling in her gut. "How long were you in that ice, exactly?"

"I don't know," Cyros said, not sounding too interested. "A day, maybe?"

"More like a thousand years!" Tecna gasped. "What _year _do you think it is, for that matter?"

"16024," Cyros answered with certainty.

Tecna gasped. 16024, she knew with absolute certainty, did not exist. In the year 16012, Whisperia was defeated in the Fifth Dimensional War. It had also been the last year of the Age of Blood; Year 16013, more commonly known as Year 1 of the Age of Unity, was when the United Realms was formed. From Years 1 to 12, there had been widespread turmoil in Zenith, so strong that Zenith had refused to acknowledge the new Age. It had only done so in the Year 12, when, after assassinating the last king of Zenith, the realm had joined the UR.

"You were trapped in that ice for one-thousand years," she said with wonder. The boy stared at her in shock. "It's 1012 now, of a new Age. _That's _why the river's gone, and why you don't recognize this place! It's all changed!"

"But… why?" Cyros asked, and Tecna saw his eyes mist up. "How can I not see Master Ying anymore? Mistress Yuie, Chen, Jin, Dmitri… are they all… gone?"

"Seems like it," Tecna said, gently. For a moment, she felt his profound sadness leak into her, his pain at being separated from his family. _He's just a boy… he didn't deserve this, even if he was stupid enough to get in the way of those ice-dragons… _She put her arm around Cyros.

And jumped back as soon as she felt a spear touch her head.

Tecna stared up. A man was staring down at her, his expression grim. He called out to the men behind him.

"I was right!" he shouted. "There's someone hiding here!"

"RUN!" yelled Tecna, leaping out of the boulder. The men let out a laugh, and ran towards them, their spears high.

* * *

"Is that a _temple_?" Stormy asked, staring at the edifice which Bloom stood under. "Eww, she was _meditating_!"

"Bloom, meditate on _this_," Icy declared, "you're about to get your sad booty kicked!" She shot a spear of ice at Bloom.

But the Dominian fairy was ready. Creating a ball of fire in her hands, she shot it straight at the ice. It burned immediately on impact.

"Sorry, no tourists allowed on Pyros," she snarled. Turning around, she flew straight towards the village, to the people whom Icy had attacked.

"_Get _her!" Icy shouted, flying forward.

She flew in a zigzag pattern, effortlessly dodging the Trix's attacks. _I've got to get to the village… _She stared down, looking in disbelief at what Icy had done.

The entire village was frozen. People were stuck in ice-statues, a frozen expression on their faces. She could tell that the village would be very difficult to defrost. _That's ice from Glacia, the realm of winter…_ She turned around and glared at the Trix.

She was a second too late. Icy shot her with a blast of ice, shooting her straight to the ground. She let out a scream as she fell, her entire body encased with ice.

"Loser," Icy smirked, turning around and walking off. She turned around, smirking at her sisters in delight.

Bloom focused her powers, feeling heat rise up in her body. Fire warmed the crystal around her, and the ice-shards exploded. Darcy stared at her in alarm. "She's gotten much stronger!"

"The stronger she _thinks _she is, the easier it'll be to finish her off!" Icy grinned, lifting her hands with ice.

But Bloom was ready. She shot a burst of fire at them, sending the three of them to the ground. Towering over them, she glared down.

"You're not finishing _anyone _off," she declared. "Turn the village back!"

"Not in the mood," Icy smirked. "Hey, what's that?" She turned her eyes upward.

Bloom gasped. The same dragon she'd fought twice in the past week was towering over them, fury in its eyes. It spewed out a ball of flame, straight at Icy's head.

But the witch easily froze it, sending ice into the dragon's mouth. Bloom watched in horror as the dragon's mouth froze up, and it cried in pain.

"No!" A fire-dragon flew out of Bloom's heart and towards the beast. Thawing the mouth of the animal, the dragon opened its mouth, ready to roar again. It turned its eyes towards Bloom, searching.

Bloom bowed her head as she stared into his eyes, golden and luminous and fierce. No longer hiding her fear, she submitted freely to his authority, allowing him to judge her as she was. She felt herself connect into his heart, her fire connecting with his.

And then he nodded. Flying towards her, he turned towards his back, motioning to it.

"You want me to ride you?" Bloom asked in disbelief. She had never heard of a dragon willingly letting a human ride atop his back. But the dragon seemed intent. He nodded to her, asking her to join him in the fight.

_So be it. _She sat atop the scales, marveling at how thick and warm they were. Letting out a giant roar, the dragon charged straight towards the Trix, fire in his eyes. Bloom smirked gleefully at the Trix's terrified eyes.

"Take _that_!" she roared. Her fire-dragon shot straight towards the Trix, encircling them with its power. She burned her fire through, ready to knock them out.

But the three sisters converged their powers together, destroying the fire-dragon. "Storm of the Ancestresses!" they shouted. Sending a wave of ice, dark, and electrical energy, they shot it straight at Bloom's heart.

Bloom gasped as she fell to the ground. Staring up, she saw that the Trix had trapped her dragon in a sphere. They cackled, flying down towards Bloom.

She gasped as a net of ice, darkness, and electricity formed around her. _Oh no… _She lay weakly on the ground, the Trix cackling as they flew down to deliver their wrath.

* * *

Instantly, Tecna grabbed Cyros, pulling him alongside her. "I'm not gonna let you get captured," she whispered fiercely. Carrying him in her arms, she pulled him along with her, grimacing at his weight.

"Stop!" yelled a voice, and Tecna darted to the side. A blast of dark energy zoomed past her and ahead. "Your fairy wings are no match for our skill!"

_They're wizards_, Tecna realized with horror. _We've got to get out of here! _She concentrated her energy on her wings.

"Tecna!" Cyros cried out. "I don't want to die – AHH!" A spell narrowly missed him, shooting into the walls of the cavern.

"I'm trying," Tecna said through gritted teeth. _I've got to do something… wings, come on…_

She focused on her fairy wings. As an Enchantix fairy, she had the power to zoom forward at high speeds, though she'd never done it before. _Please, please let this work… _She grimaced and concentrated hard.

Something hit her hard in the back. She let out a yell, dropping Cyros as she fell.

She hit the ground hard, grimacing. And then she stared up. Six warriors were standing around her, their spears pointed towards them.

"Oh no," she whispered.

The man with the lantern moved forward, his eyes menacing and dark.

"Give us your spells," he demanded. "The spells of your people, so we can get out of here."

"We don't have any spells!" Tecna gasped. "We're not affiliated with the Gatekeepers!"

"Liar!" the man crowed. "We want your spells! Now go ahead, give them to us!"

Tecna struggled as the man grabbed her. _How do we get out of this… _She wasn't going to be able to convince them that she had no spells. _We're completely dead…_

Then suddenly, Cyros jumped up, dancing in front of the men.

"Yoo-hoo!" he shouted. "Magic spell-keeper right here!"

"Cyros, what are you doing?" Tecna hissed, but Cyros had darted out of the way, laughing. "Betcha can't catch me!"

The men's eyes narrowed. Shouting, they abandoned Tecna and chased him, letting out grunts of anger. They let out a multitude of attack-spells.

But Cyros simply avoided their blasts, laughing as he curved and twisted around. The men, being larger and bulkier, were unable to turn as quickly as him, and were getting tired and impatient.

_I like it_, thought Tecna. _Using their inertia against them. _She frowned. _How's this going to help us?_

"Enough of this," the lead wizard snapped. "Get into a circle. We're going to surround him."

The men formed into a circle around Cyros. Growling, they ran towards Cyros, their spears poised, attack spells ready. Tecna watched in fascinated horror as Cyros simply stood there, letting them run closer and closer, until they were almost there…

Then quite suddenly, he leapt into the air. There were six shouts, a collective "Uhh!", and then there was silence.

When the dust had cleared, Tecna stared at the men. They'd all collided into one another, and were now completely knocked out. _Clever, indeed… _She began to laugh.

"All right." Cyros landed on the ground and grinned at Tecna. "Whaddya say we get outta here?"

"I like the sound of that." Casting a transporting spell, she and Cyros disappeared, the wizards far behind.

"Just so you know," Icy said, her eyes dancing, "you're coming with us straight back to Valtor."

_Valtor… _A fire seemed to burn in Bloom's heart. She thought of all he had done, how many people he had hurt. What he had almost done to Melody, what he _had _done to Tecna, and what he was doing to the world now. Fire raged in her heart.

_I will defeat him. But not with the fire of bitterness and resentment that he wields. I will defeat him with the fire of justice and truth, because I know I can!_

Suddenly, a healing energy shot over her. _What's going on? _She stared around, confused at what had suddenly happened.

She was in a red cocoon. Red fire-dragons swarmed around her, containing both the essence of Pyros and Domino. They brought her heat and truth and light, warming her to her very core with their ancient wisdom.

The fire-dragons wrapped around her body, vanishing into her. A blue ruffled dress appeared over her body, and a dragon-shaped blue barrette shined in her hair. Fire-snakes climbed up her legs, creating blue barefoot sandals. A choker formed around her neck, heating with the strength of the dragons.

Then her wings unfurled. Blue and brilliant, they were as luminous as the fire she'd seen in the temple. She stared, astonished, at the magic she'd suddenly acquired.

_My Enchantix! _she thought, joyfully. _Through the power of my will and courage, I received my Enchantix! _She gasped in amazement, staring forward.

And as the cocoon vanished and the witches attacked, Bloom created a shield around her, deflecting their attacks. Red dragons flew out of her aura, undoing the spell on her dragon. He let out a bellow and sent flames everywhere, melting the ice over the village.

And as dawn broke over the horizon, the village of Sekhmet woke up, staring with amazement at what Bloom had done.

Icy's eyes were furious. "This isn't over, _pixie_," she snarled. Gathering her sisters, they flew away, far from the scene of their loss.

Sitting atop her dragon, Bloom flew down towards the village, jubilation in her eyes. She saw the stunned look on Horus's face, the dumbfounded stare in Keket, Jabari, and Nawa's features, and the serene expression in Maia's eyes. She stood forward, smiling at Bloom.

"Princess of Domino," she said, "you have come a long way from when you first arrived. When you started here, you were hawkish, angry, and confused about your place in the world. But now you have taken an important step in finding yourself, in discovering who you are. You found your inner dragon and freed your Enchantix, your final form. What you found here was greater than any magical-power you could ever have: understanding. Understanding yourself, your world, and the people around you is the greatest path to success." She placed her hand on Bloom's forehead.

"You will always be welcome on Pyros," Horus added, stepping forward. "Thank you for saving us from those evil witches and bringing freedom to us. We wish you nothing but success in your quest."

Bloom smiled, gazing at the villagers. Their eyes were filled with not anger, but respect – something she hadn't felt in a long time. The dragon touched her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she said, bowing.

The dragon breathed once, letting fire heat over Bloom's head – a soothing fire that made her smile. Then he turned and flew, towards the forest. Maia walked over to Bloom, transformed into her Enchantix. "Now how about we clean up this village?"

The fire-dragons soared back towards Bloom, and the villagers gasped in awe as they encircled them, filled with warmth and heat and light. Maia suspended her pouch in the air, sending red, jasmine-scented dust everywhere.

And unlike last time, Bloom let it happen. She let the fairy-dust encase itself into her dragons, filling them with more warmth than she'd ever seen before. They soared around the village, erasing the soot-marks and restoring it to its former glory. The people of Sekhmet cheered, for they knew their home was restored.

Bloom smiled, taking in the beauty of the dragons, flying over the lush jungle and volcanic mountains. _I'm an Enchantix fairy now. _She knew she would always savor this moment, this moment of respect and triumph.

* * *

"I can't believe my friends are gone," Cyros murmured.

They were at the pond. After setting up all the necessary illusion and protection spells, they'd settled down for more fishing and a new campfire. _We'll have to leave here soon, though, or else all the fish will be gone._

"I mean, a week ago – I mean, a thousand-and-twelve years ago – there was an attack," Cyros continued. "Some newly-arrived convicts found their way to our part of Omega and attacked us. But we survived past it. How in the world did Master Ying let our village get destroyed?"

"I don't know," Tecna said. "I'm sorry."

_I've lost my friends, too… _Grief stabbed her heart as she thought of how she'd fought with Timmy, how gone he was now. _He's 0.19 light years away… _She remembered Stella's cheerfulness, Bloom's determination, Musa's energy, and Layla's strength. And most of all… Flora. Sweet, caring Flora, who'd never given up on her, even when the others had. Letting out a sigh, she put her arm around Cyros and the two sat quietly together, near the campfire.

"Look," she said, "we've both lost our loved ones. We're probably stuck here for good – by the looks of it, we'll never have them back. But I won't let go of you, Cyros. From now on, you and I are family."

A hint of a smile appeared on Cyros's face, and he closed his eyes. "Goodnight, Tecna."

He fell asleep. Tecna laid the sleeping boy on her lap, gazing at the fire. Along with so many other things, it represented determination, courage, and strength. Even though they were in a realm filled with ice, it still burned, not letting go.

_I won't put this flame out… _She closed her own eyes, thinking briefly of her best friend, Flora. She remembered the spark between the two of them, how they'd always supported each other through everything, how they'd cared for each other through all that time.

That flame was forever gone, but in its place, a new fire had come. Somehow, Tecna knew that Flora would want her to do this, to care for Cyros like a brother of her own. For Fate had paired them together, and they were to live forever in Omega.

With that, she thought she felt something in her heart warm. As if… she'd done something _right_. She gazed down at herself and smiled.

_Maybe I _do _have intuition after all._

* * *

**So, what did you think? Were you surprised about Cyros? Well, I guess it makes sense, because his name does mean "ice" in Greek. Bloom got her Enchantix pretty much the same way she did in the series, but I wanted to make the civilization of Pyros important as well, so that it wasn't just a deserted island and her job wasn't just to beat up dragons.**

**The chapter's name also has a double-meaning. It's not just about Bloom finding her flame within, but Tecna finding her own flame as well. Even though she's stranded in a cold place, she still finds something to live for.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Flora returns back to Alfea.**

**\- Eris takes her bullying to another level.**

**\- Valtor attacks the Museum of Magix.**


	29. Chapter 27: The Agador Box

**Hello, everyone! I hope you are well on this fine day. Let's see what's going to happen with Flora, now that she's back at Alfea!**

* * *

CHAPTER 27: THE AGADOR BOX

"Flora!"

Flora blinked. She had just landed in the Alfea quad, and someone was running towards her. To be precise, Mirta. Her arms were open wide, and she was staring at her in amazement.

"Mirta!" Flora ran forward and enveloped her girlfriend in a hug. She gazed down at her in happiness.

She had no idea how much she'd missed her until now. It had taken a near-death experience with a hover, meeting Vasiliev, and an escape for her to realize how fragile her life was. _I don't know what I would've done if I'd never seen her again… _The two girls embraced tightly, and Flora beamed down at her.

Mirta smiled too, but then her smile was cut short. She looked to be near tears.

"Mirta?" Flora whispered. "What's wrong?"

Mirta didn't answer. Instead, she pulled away from Flora, staring at the forest.

"Let's get out of here," she said.

The two girls walked away from Alfea campus, their shoulders brushing one another. Flora wanted to hold Mirta's hand, but she knew Mirta was against it, especially as that'd be a clear sign of their relationship. _If only there was a way to comfort her…_

They reached the forest, Mirta still not looking at Flora. Most of the autumn leaves had fallen, though a few still remained on the trees. Eventually, Mirta turned around to face Flora, though she wasn't looking at her. She still stared vacantly at the ground.

"I was really worried about you," she said. "Zenith is a dangerous place. There was something about you the other day that seemed just so _reckless_, and abnormally so. I just thought – what would I do if you never came back" –

"Don't even think that." Flora grabbed Mirta's hands. "I won't _ever _leave you, Mirta. Even if something happens to me, I will always be with you. Don't ever forget that."

"I didn't know whether you were thinking straight or not," Mirta sniffed. "You just seemed so – _different _– from normal. I don't know if I'd forgiven myself if you'd been killed" –

"Nor should you, you little _hag_."

Flora turned around. There stood Eris, all alone. She glared at Mirta, with nothing but hatred in her eyes.

"What do you want from us?" Flora demanded.

"The same thing I've always wanted," Eris snapped. "The hag needs to leave campus."

"_What_?" gasped Mirta.

"You don't belong here," Eris snarled. "Ever since you've been here, nothing but trouble has occurred! First the witches attack, then Ms. Faragonda becomes a tree" –

"How dare you blame that on me" –

"And then Tecna gets crushed by a giant portal!" Eris finished. "It's _your_ fault this whole thing happened! Alfea was nearly destroyed last year by imposter Avalon, and I'm not gonna let it happen again. One wrong move, hag, and my parents will make sure you leave Alfea!"

"That's it." Flora stormed forward, pulling herself out of Mirta's grasp. Mirta stared at her.

"Flora!" she shouted. "Let her go to Faragonda! You know she won't kick me out" –

"This has gone on for too long," Flora said, her hands lighting up with green energy. _I'm not going to let her get away with this anymore… _Eris glared at her, her lips curled.

"You wanna fight?" she jeered.

Flora really didn't. She didn't want to fight with this girl, who, annoying as she was, was a classmate of hers. _But she's gone too far this time. _She lifted the dead leaves from the ground and swirled them at Eris.

But the Eraklyonese fairy easily dodged, laughing. "Is that all you can do? Pathetic." She let out a laugh.

"Oh, I'm not done yet," snarled Flora. Transforming into her Enchantix, she called on the trees to help her.

She gasped as a rock hurled towards her, and dodged out of the way. Eris had a steely glint in her eyes as she glared at Flora. Flora put up a shield around herself, trying to focus on the trees.

_Please_, she begged. _Help me._

_We won't_, the trees answered. _The rock-fairy does not threaten us. And your anger is too strong, young fairy._

Growling in frustration, Flora turned towards Eris. _I suppose I'm going to have to take her down on my own. _She tried to summon pollen-dust from the trees.

But it was too late in autumn for there to be any pollen, and in that instant, Eris had already made the next move. "Take _this_," the sophomore hissed. Levitating stones in the air, she shot them straight towards Flora, throwing her back.

Flora watched in horror as stones cascaded towards her, with the speed of a comet.

"No!" she yelled, dodging out of the way. She fell to the ground, gasping. _This is _my _territory… why can't I fight this sophomore? Why aren't my Enchantix powers strong enough?_

"She's using your anger against you!" Mirta yelled. "You're too tired to do this, Flora – you just got back from Zenith! Stop it!"

"Zenith, is it?" Eris asked smoothly. "I wondered where you were. Why, of all places, would you go to that awful realm? Especially when it's beating your own realm up to shreds" –

"That's it!" Flora snarled, and she shot a vine towards Eris. The rock-fairy gasped as she was caught up in the vine, struggling and gasping.

"You little"… she snarled, and then quite suddenly, the vine exploded. She glared at Flora. "I've had enough of you!" Focusing on the earth, she lifted several boulders out, encasing Flora on all four sides.

Flora stared around in horror. _I've got to get out of here… _She tried to leave, but Eris threw a flat rock at the top of the cage. From outside, she could hear her mirthless laugh.

"Admit you've lost," she jeered, "and I'll let you out."

_No… _thought Flora, her head spinning. _I _won't _do that. _But she was too weak and tired to do anything. _Everything's so wrong… Tecna's gone, Mirta's accused of treachery, and now Eris's trapped me in the middle of a forest… Not to mention, my friends hate me…_

And quite suddenly, she began to sob. She cried loudly and piteously, not caring who heard. _My friends… Tecna… I'm so sorry. It's my fault you're all gone…_

"Crying, are we?" Eris smirked. "Just two words are all you need. Then I'll let you out, and we can forget this" –

A fireball suddenly flared through the air. Flora stopped crying, staring up in astonishment. She heard Eris's squeal as she was slammed against a tree.

"That's it," she heard a voice. "I'm not letting you diss Mirta."

_Bloom! _thought Flora, shocked. _She's back!_

She focused her energy. The rock above her head levitated to the side, and she flew out of the cage. She gazed down in astonishment, seeing Eris lying on the ground, grimacing.

Bloom flew down towards her, and Flora stared up at her. _She's earned her Enchantix… _The Dominian fairy was wearing a short blue dress, blue heart-shaped barrettes, and luminous blue wings. Her red hair flowed elegantly down her back, somehow making her look fiercer than ever. _I'm so happy she's back… _She smiled at Bloom, but the fairy wasn't paying any attention to her.

"I'm _done _with you bullying Mirta." She faced Eris. "On Pyros, I learned the power of pure heat, the strength of the dragon. Would you like me to show you?"

Eris trembled ever so slightly. Bloom glared at her, and then turned to face Flora and Mirta.

"Let's go," she said.

The three fairies left the forest, flying towards the Alfea quad. Landing in their school, they transformed back to civilian form, gazing at one another. Flora grabbed Bloom in a hug.

"It's so good to see you again!" she burst out. For a second, she thought she'd gone too far; then Bloom wrapped her tightly in a hug, too.

"I'm so happy to see you too," she whispered. "I feel like it's been ages."

_That's because it _has _been ages_, Flora thought. Although Bloom had only been gone about a week, they hadn't truly spoken in over a month. Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized how long it'd been.

Bloom seemed to realize that, too. She stiffened and pulled back rather abruptly, staring at the ground.

"I should go," she said awkwardly, turning away.

Flora sighed, gazing down at the ground. _I really did mess things up, didn't I… _She was about to turn around herself when Mirta spoke.

"I guess you don't want to hear what happened to Flora on Zenith."

Bloom shot around. "_What_? You went to Zenith? Are you crazy?" She stared at Flora. "That place is a war-zone!"

Flora smiled, happy that Bloom was showing some care for her. "Tell me what happened on your trip and I'll tell you about mine."

Bloom sighed, and Flora could tell she was conceding. "All right, let's go back to the apartment"…

* * *

"I met the man who was behind Tecna's fall."

Total silence. Everyone stared at Flora, completely at a loss for words as she recanted her tale.

It felt strange being back here in the apartment, actually talking. It felt even stranger serving the other girls tea, especially after all she'd done. _But they want to know what happened to Tecna as much as I do. _Mirta put her arm around Flora as she quietly recapped what'd happened.

"His name is Igor Vasiliev," she said. "He's the head of some government-run laboratory in Zenith. Premier Alexandrova set him up with this."

"And… what is he creating?" Musa asked, her tone also wavering.

"I don't know," Flora answered. "Some kind of… weapon." She swallowed.

"So he was using Tecna all this time to code this for him?" Layla demanded, clenching her fists.

"Yes," said Flora, somberly. "But that's not all, girls. Tecna, well"… the others leaned in closer. "She was a cyborg."

The other girls gasped out loud. "I can't believe we didn't guess it!" gasped Bloom.

"No _wonder_ she's so good at arithmetic!"

"No _wonder _she avoided group hugs!"

"No _wonder _she always panicked when the Web was down!"

"I can't believe it – was there any way we could've known?"

"_I _knew." Digit flew towards them, her eyes red. "I sensed her circuits the moment I saw her. But she made me promise not to tell anyone. She would've been kicked out of Alfea if I had. And she – _died _because of it."

"There's more," Flora added, and the girls immediately silenced themselves. She drew out the laptop from her bag, placing it on the table. "It's Tecna's laptop."

"You managed to get _that _out of Zenith?" Musa yelped in amazement.

"Come on, open it!" Layla added.

Flora opened the laptop and showed them Tecna's birth-information on the screen. They all stared at it, unable to believe what Flora had just told them; it had been one thing to hear it from her mouth, but another to see it right there.

"Anastasia Marie Ivanova," Bloom read out loud. "It fits her, in a strange way. I can't believe she never told us before."

"Try opening a file," Stella urged.

Flora clicked on the computer storage, frowning as she scanned the list of documents. She couldn't read anything or understand what it meant – it was all in Zenithian – so she figured she might as well pick one at random. She double-clicked on a file at the top.

Immediately, a harsh, shrill noise exploded in the air. Flora squealed in surprise, jumping back in alarm. The other Winx covered their ears, looking horrified.

"Stop that noise!" Stella cried.

"Sonic suppressor!" Musa yelled. A pink bubble appeared around the laptop, and the noise immediately stopped. "I don't know how long that'll last." She flopped down on the sofa and sighed.

"So there's no way to get into her files," Flora said, defeated. _Valtor must've remotely locked them after I brought the laptop from Zenith. _"What're we going to do?"

"Leave it to me!" Digit picked up the laptop. "I know exactly how to hack. Tecna taught me, in fact."

"I don't know," Bloom said doubtfully. "Isn't the Zenithian Cyberware Department really strong? I'm sure they're encrypted well-enough to stop hackers."

Flora sighed, gazing at the ground. _So the mission wasn't much of a success after all… _She was about to say as much, but stopped as soon as Bloom took her hands. The Dominian fairy's eyes were heavy as she stared at Flora.

"I can't believe we let you go there by yourself," she said, tears coming to her eyes. "That was so dangerous, Flora, but so brave. What you did was… amazing."

"You too." Flora smiled. Bloom had just told them what'd happened on Pyros, and it had amazed her beyond relief. _She faced all three of the Trix on her own, _and _earned her Enchantix! _Bloom turned towards Mirta.

"I just want to say," she said, "that we shouldn't have ignored either of you. You may have kept secrets from us, but you had everyone's best interests at heart. And we're happy for the two of you." The other girls nodded in assent.

Mirta stared at the girls, her eyes wide. "So… you really don't have a problem with the two of us being together?"

"Of course not!" Layla declared.

"You two were _made _for each other," Bloom said.

"To be honest, I kinda suspected something was up," Musa added.

All eyes turned towards Stella, whose arms were crossed. Then she turned towards Flora, and let out a small smile.

"Well, it sucks that I can't play matchmaker any longer," she said, "but yeah, you _are_ a cute couple."

All the girls laughed. Stella grinned, turning towards Layla.

"So?" she asked. "How's that cute boy coming along? You like Nabu?"

"Stop it!" Layla yelped, pulling away. "I haven't even _met_ him, Stella! I _did_ get fitted for my engagement ceremony, though." She looked unhappily at the floor.

"When was this?" Flora asked. _I didn't even know._

"It was after the events on Melody," Layla answered. "Since Faragonda wouldn't let anyone leave campus, the dressmakers had to come here. It was… tedious, to say the least. Not to mention, I hate their dresses." She looked disgusted.

Stella put her arm around Layla.

"Don't worry," she declared. "If we could bust that mega-stupid countess's wedding, I bet we can crash yours! We'll figure something out, Layla – _and _we'll break open that laptop. There's nothing we can't solve together!" She looked towards Flora and Mirta. "And that includes you both, too."

Flora smiled as the rest of the girls cheered. _It's so good to be back. _Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

And just like that, a weight was released from her shoulders, for she knew they were back in action again.

* * *

All throughout the night, the girls worked on their most important task – unlocking Tecna's laptop. As Bloom had predicted, it was no easy task. Although Digit spent a lot of time rerouting the servers and messing around with the computer's hardware, the computer yielded no results. The Winx grew frustrated quickly, especially since there were absolutely no leads.

"It's no use," Musa finally said that Saturday. They had just about taken every book about computers from the library, and yet, they still couldn't figure out what was going on. "I vote we give it to Prof Patel and have her figure out how to crack it."

Flora stared at her in alarm. "We can't do that! She'll turn it in to Faragonda!"

"What other choice do we have?" Layla asked. "I agree with Musa. We need to give it in and have the police or someone deal with it."

"But if we do that, they'll just return it to Zenith authorities," Bloom pointed out. "Flora will be in big trouble for having nicked it from Vasiliev."

"Yeah," agreed Stella. "Not to mention, Alfea's reputation will be hit pretty badly!"

"Alright, so we keep the laptop," Musa said. "But think about it, Flo: do you really want to know what's inside?"

"What do you mean?" Flora asked in astonishment.

"It's like what Tecna said to me during freshman year, that day when we recovered the Ring of Solaria from Cloud Tower," Bloom said. "Do you remember?"

Flora nodded, tears welling up in her eyes as she remembered what Tecna had said to Bloom that day, when she'd tried to open a book about herself in Cloud Tower. Tecna had dissuaded her, pointing out that not all magical objects were to be trusted.

"This is too much of a coincidence," she had said to Bloom, just as the Dominian fairy was about to open it. "Why would it be sitting here, waiting for you?"

"The witches coulda been readin' up about us," Musa pointed out. "They _do _have books about every single fairy and witch that ever existed."

"I don't believe that," Tecna said dismissively. "That's mathematically impossible – not to mention completely illogical. In any case, Bloom, you shouldn't read it."

"Why not?" Bloom asked, taken aback.

"Think about it," Tecna answered. "What if the book contains your future?"

"So what?" Stella asked. "I'd give up my diamond earrings to find out about _my _future!"

"But what if you find out something you don't want to know?" Tecna pressed on. "The future isn't always pleasant. If I were you, I wouldn't read it. But it's your choice."

Tecna had been right, of course – she always was. Not only had the Trix bewitched Bloom's book in order to make her believe she was a witch, but the entire thing had been a hoax. They had soon realized that the story of omnipotent books was nothing more than an urban legend made up by the witches in order to scare the fairies away. Flora swallowed as she remembered that moment, thinking of how it applied to the situation now.

"But this is different," she said. "The Trix cast an illusion spell on that book to make Bloom fall into their trap. This laptop holds valuable information – information that'll help us find out what happened."

"Flora, you have to get past it," Bloom said gently. "Tecna is dead. No amount of searching will bring her back."

Tears stung Flora's eyes. _No, I refuse to listen… _She tapped the keys of the computer, ignoring her words. If Bloom, Stella, Musa, and Layla weren't going to help, then this was another thing she was going to have to do on her own.

* * *

The next day, they were on a bus to Magix. A time of "rest and relaxation", as Faragonda insisted – she wanted the girls to spend time together.

The girls had protested – after all, they still needed to defeat Valtor. Bloom had protested the most of all, pushing against Faragonda.

"Valtor is gaining more and more power," she said, "and soon, he'll be unstoppable. We have to do something!"

"I agree," Faragonda said. "However, rest is also important. You and Flora just got back from missions – you don't need to do anything now. You also need time to solidify together, especially after what happened on Melody."

The bus stopped. The girls got down, heading to the outdoor food court to get lunch. There was food from all the different realms there, made by chefs from all over the dimension. They sat down, eating and talking.

"I still don't know what to do about Nabu." Layla sounded frustrated. "I've tried to talk to my parents, but they're just not giving in. I can't do this!"

"I don't know, Layla. Maybe you should give the boy a chance," Bloom suggested.

"He might not be so bad," Musa agreed. "I mean, Riven and I are doing pretty well, even if we're at wit's ends sometimes."

"No way!" Layla snapped. "Boys just aren't worth it. Look at me, right now! No guys, no problems."

"But no romance," Stella had her eyes raised. "So sad. I think Layla has a case of Arranged Marriage Syndrome."

"They're _still _making you go through with that?" Mirta was shocked.

Layla snorted. "Don't worry. I'm not marrying _anyone_, much less someone _they _choose for me. In fact, I'm done with boys for good."

"That's a bit harsh, Layla," said Bloom, looking surprised.

_I don't know_, thought Flora, looking over at Mirta. She couldn't imagine ever dating a boy, much less marrying one.

"Doesn't matter," Layla declared. "I'm never dating any boy."

"Really?" Stella asked, her eyebrows raised. "So how about you tell _that_ to the cute boy who's been staring at you for the last half-hour?" She pointed to behind a bush.

Flora turned around and had the shock of her life. An Androsian man with a long braid was standing behind them, smiling awkwardly and nervously. "Er… ladies… hi," he said sheepishly.

"That's _all _you can say?" Layla demanded. "Do you think it's okay standing around, snooping on people's very private conversations?" She angrily stood up, slamming the table with her fist and storming off, away from the food court.

"Layla!" Musa immediately got up and ran after her.

"Let's go," Bloom said. The girls followed Layla, breaking into a jog.

Flora couldn't blame Layla for flipping out. After all, she had a lot on her plate – they _all _did, right now. _But that boy _was _interested in her… _Could they possibly be a match? But if so, what would her parents say?

They caught up with Layla, who was frowning, staring at the ground.

"Something's not right," she said. "I can sense it in the air. I feel like there's some negative matter around here."

"Like I said, Arranged Marriage Syndrome," Stella sniggered.

"Who cares about that?" Layla fired back. "This is important, Stella! Stop making everything into a joke! Flora, you sense it too, right?"

Flora frowned. The Voice of Nature usually guided her, but in the heart of a city, it was fairly irrelevant. There weren't even any trees around.

"No," she said. "I don't sense anything."

"See?" Stella laughed. "It's nothing! I don't know what you're so" –

A flash of lightning cut off her words. It slammed straight into the dome of the Magical Artifact Museum, creating a hole and sending glass everywhere. Musa stared at it in horror.

"That glass's supposed to be… Impenetrable," she whispered.

"Residents of Magix!" a voice shouted. A man's head was in the clouds – to Flora's shock, she recognized him as Valtor. "In twenty minutes, I will be at the Magical Artifact Museum to take the Eye of the Ancestresses. You can hand it over or fight. Either way, it'll be mine." His head vanished.

"Oh, you'll get a fight, all right!" Bloom declared, clenching her fists. "Let's go!"

They transformed and ran towards the building. Flora saw all the other people running out of the building, followed by security guards. Everyone on the street, in fact, was running out of the building, and they were the only ones going towards it. _Exactly like what happened on Melody… _She felt a pang in her heart, but ignored it. A barrier was being activated, and they transformed, flying up towards it.

"If we get to the roof before the barrier's activated, we can stop Valtor before he gets close," Layla said.

"Hang on." Musa frowned. "Something's not right here. Why would he give everyone a head's up and allow them enough time to mobilize?"

"He's planning something big," Bloom answered, "and he wants everyone in the same place."

"So then what are we waiting around for?" Stella shouted. "Let's go!" She picked up her scepter and transported them to the top, where they sat, waiting silently.

Ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Valtor. Flora sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she stared down. "This waiting around is really getting to me."

"Yeah," Layla muttered. "So is that loser guy from before."

"Come _on_, Layla," Bloom protested. "He probably just thought you were cute. Why're you so upset about him, anyways?"

"I don't know." Layla sighed, staring at the ground. "There's just something about him that really rubbed me the wrong way."

"_Who _rubbed you the wrong way?" a man's voice said pleasantly. Flora gasped as she turned around, seeing the same braided man.

"You have _got _to be kidding me!" Layla turned around, her arms furiously crossed.

"I didn't get to introduce myself." The man smiled. "The name's Ophir."

_So he _is _Androsian… _Musa glared at him, crossing her arms.

"How'd you get up here?" she demanded. "The place's protected by a magical barrier!"

"I used my _own _magic," Ophir answered, fiddling with a long staff.

Flora gasped; magically-enfranchised fairy-men were very rare to come by, as most of them had been murdered in the Fairy Genocide of the Fourth Dimensional War. Saladin one of the few descendants of the survivors, as well as this man, apparently. _If _he _got through the barrier, there's no way Valtor won't…_

"I think he's spying for Valtor," Musa declared.

"You must be right!" Layla gasped. "He _was _spying on us earlier!"

Flora frowned. _I'm not sure about that… _After all, this man didn't have that sneakiness about him. Then again, Imposter Avalon hadn't seemed to have had it either, _and look what happened there… _The man smiled sweetly.

"Look at this face, Princess Layla," he said, opening his eyes wide so his square face looked innocent and childlike. "Would this face lie to you?"

Layla growled, a threatening spell in her hands. "GRAHH!" she shouted. She was about to slam him when, suddenly, a blast of lightning stopped her cold.

Flora looked up in horror. Valtor was hovering over them, his eyes wide. He began to laugh.

"I'm here, just as I promised," he smirked. "Now, I believe you have something I want."

"Never!" Bloom yelled. "We won't give it to you!"

"So be it." Valtor closed his eyes. A whirl of wind hit them suddenly, and the girls screamed, tumbling down the side.

Flora grabbed onto Mirta's hand. _We can't fall… we can't… _She tried to latch onto the air with her wings, but the wind was too strong.

Something hit her. A spell stopped her motion, and she stared up. Ophir had now transformed, and was wearing a purple tunic and white wings on his back. He was pointing his staff at them, and had slowed them all down. Flora stood up, staring at the sky.

Valtor had completely vanished. _How did he get into the museum? _She stood up and dusted herself. The other girls stood as well.

"We didn't even have time to cast a single spell," Mirta whispered.

"He's much stronger than he used to be," Bloom added, staring at the ground.

"It's gonna be hard to stop him if he's got power like that," Musa sighed.

"Actually, I don't think so," Layla said. "Remember what we learned in Spellbound? High-stress transportation spells can deplete a user's power for up to half-an-hour."

_If Tecna was here, she could calculate exactly how much power he lost_, thought Flora sorrowfully. _But we can't think about her now. _She thought of the laptop back at Alfea, hoping that they'd find a way to crack it.

"Then now's our chance," Bloom declared. "Let's go."

Layla turned around and glared at Ophir. "Do what you want," she said, "but don't get in our way."

The girls and Ophir flew down through the crack that had been created by the lightning. They flew through the museum, grabbing a map from the front stand. Mirta scanned it and frowned.

"I can try to track Valtor's energy," Bloom said. "Our dragon-fire has a connection, so it should work." She closed her eyes, sending out waves of fire. Flora watched as Bloom connected briefly, and then opened her eyes.

"He's that way," she said, pointing.

"_That _way is the vault," gasped Mirta. "He must be attacking the vault!"

"Then why are the Trix heading the opposite way?" Musa suddenly asked.

Everyone stared at her, at a loss for words. _What's going on? What's she saying?_

"I can hear them," Musa said. "While you guys were looking at the map, I've been using my upgraded sonic powers to sense them. Valtor's at the vault, but the Trix have gone down the other corridor. Something's majorly wrong here!"

A slamming door suddenly got their attention. Bloom closed her eyes again, connecting with Valtor. What she sensed made her gasp out loud.

"He locked the security guards in the vault," she cried out. "It's completely sealed!"

"Does this mean this was all a trap?" gasped Flora, hardly able to believe it.

"Valtor never wanted the Eye!" gasped Musa. "He trapped the guards with the Eye so they wouldn't be able to get to him! And now he's going for something else!"

"Good plan," Ophir said quietly. Layla growled at him.

"I don't understand," said Bloom. "What does he want, then?"

"The Agador Box!"

Everyone turned to Mirta, who was pacing around in horror. Layla frowned at her. "What's so special about a box?"

"It was created by Tharma Sekuko, one of the Ancestresses," Mirta said breathlessly. "Every child in Whisperia grows up knowing about this. It can hold any spell within its grasp, and a very high quantity, too. Valtor must be having difficulty containing his spells, which is why he needs this. It'll make him exponentially more powerful!"

"Then we have to go after those witches!" Bloom cried.

They flew down the corridor, and Flora grabbed Mirta's hand, propelling the two of them forward with her enchanted wings. They slowed down as they approached the room with the crystal box, the witches frowning.

"I don't get it," Flora heard Stormy say. "It's just some dumb crystal box."

"This dumb crystal box can hold any magic in the Magical Dimension." Icy froze the water-molecules in the air, creating an icy platform. The box zoomed towards it, sitting on the stand.

"'Any magic' sounds like what we need to contain all our new spells," Darcy declared.

"Isn't it a shame you're not getting it?" Stella flew forward, slamming her with a solar spell. Flora and the others followed her, glaring at the witches.

Icy shot an array of icicles at Mirta. Flora leapt in front of her, sending a stream of pollen at it. The icicles disappeared, and Flora gasped at the energy it took.

The other girls flew into position. They continued to attack the witches, who, unfortunately, were getting much stronger. They roared, sending their energy at the fairies.

But Bloom and Layla came forward, holding hands. "Convergence!" they shouted, slamming fire and water-molecules both at the witches. They gasped, falling back down to the ground. A dragon-fire and Morphix chain entangled them, and they struggled, unable to free themselves.

Suddenly, Bloom and Layla screamed as they were blasted out of the air. Musa ran to them, her eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" she shouted.

"Indeed," a male voice drawled, and Flora turned around in horror. There stood Valtor, his eyes glinting as he narrowed his eyes at Bloom.

"You"… Bloom clenched her hands, storming towards him.

"Enchantix at last," Valtor laughed. "Though I can sense it's incomplete."

"What are you talking about?" Bloom demanded.

"You can't sense it yourself?" the wizard smiled. "How pathetic. You don't have the power to take me down. And deep down, you know it."

_What does he mean? _Flora stared at the wizard in confusion. Bloom growled, pointing a blast at his head.

"My Enchantix isn't incomplete!" she snarled, slamming him with fire. "_You _are!"

Flora gasped as Bloom's dragon-fire blast whirled out of control. The fairies cried out in horror as Valtor easily deflected the blow, and it hit Bloom. The fire-fairy slammed to the wall.

"You foolish girl," he smirked. "One thing you should know about me: I'm never wrong."

Bloom tried to pick herself up, her arms shaking. Valtor continued laughing, his voice mirthless and terrible.

"You knew all along you'd never get your Enchantix," he laughed. "You have no one left to save. Your power is futile. And so there you'll fall, forever to fail."

Flora wanted to run to Bloom, to help her up, but somehow found she couldn't. _Valtor's lying… he has to be… _How could Bloom's Enchantix be broken?

"And so falls the daughter of the great Oritel," Valtor smirked. "How pathetic."

"No," Bloom stood up so fast Flora thought she was about to burst. "The only one who's pathetic here is _you_. Even after you destroyed everything your brother worked for, you still want to destroy everything! What _kind _of sick man are you, anyhow? How could you do this? How could you follow the Ancestresses, when they've done nothing but wrong? To what end? Do you think anyone truly… loves you?"

Suddenly, Valtor fell to the ground, sobbing. He began to cry out, and everyone stared at him, taken aback.

It was so strange, to see a grown man crying. But what was even worse was that this wasn't ordinary crying – it was heart-wrenching to even listen to. It was like this villain's soul was being yanked out, and it wasn't a nice-looking soul, either. Musa winced, covering her hands to her ears.

"Now's our chance!" Layla flew forward, running to grab the Ancestral Box that Icy had taken in her grasp…

… and screamed as a hand shot out towards her.

"No!" Ophir jumped in front of Layla. He yelled out as the hand grabbed him tightly, and struggled helplessly against it.

Flora stared at him. _Where'd _he_ come from? _Since he couldn't fly as fast as the girls, it was shocking to see him appear out of nowhere. _Why's he here? What happened?_

Icy flew in front of him, rolling her eyes at Valtor.

"While _you_ were sobbing your heart out," she said, "_I _took action. Without me, these losers would've gotten away." She looked at Ophir with interest. "Who is _this _wannabe hero?"

"Let him _go_, Icy," Layla snarled.

"I'd rather crush him into dust," Icy smiled, "but if you hand over the box and let my sisters go, your little boy-toy won't die."

"What are we going to do?" Flora gasped.

"It's up to Layla," Bloom answered. "Ophir took the blow for her. She gets to decide."

"Layla, think about it," Musa said. "If Ophir's working for Valtor, this could just be another trick."

"But if he's not, we have to save him," Stella declared.

Layla closed her eyes, and Flora could see the pain she was going through. _Either we sacrifice Ophir's life, or we let Valtor win the battle… _But she knew what Layla would choose. The princess of Andros sighed, and then opened her eyes.

"Let him go."

* * *

The girls and Ophir stood on the roof quietly. Bloom closed her eyes.

"He has it," she said quietly. "He's won a major battle. Now he's unstoppable."

Flora agreed. It felt like a horrible defeat, losing the magical box just when it'd been in their grasp. _Now there's nothing left to stop Valtor… _Stella stepped forward.

"You're wrong, Bloom," she said. "He may have taken the box, but he hasn't taken our spirits. We will still rise above him and be victorious."

"What you said to him was very brave," Mirta added. "It's going to take him a lot to defeat us. Right?"

Bloom frowned, sitting down. She stared quietly at the ground.

"What is it?" Flora asked softly, sitting down next to Bloom.

"My Enchantix," Bloom said quietly. "It's not the same as the rest of yours. It'll never _be _the same, in fact."

"What are you talking about?" Stella cried. "You earned it on Pyros!"

"But I didn't sacrifice myself for anyone," Bloom whispered. "My power was born out of pure will. And it's not the same as saving someone from my realm."

"Are you sure?" Flora whispered.

"Yes," Bloom responded, staring at the ground. "I'll never be able to harness the same energy as you guys."

Mirta let out a sigh. "Let's call Faragonda. I don't know how we're going to explain this to her, though."

"Maybe we should let Ophir do the explaining, because it _was _his fault the box disappeared," Musa said.

"Where _is _he?" Stella asked, staring around.

Flora looked, too. There was no one to be seen around them on the rooftop, no one except the six of them. She stared in disbelief.

"He took off!" Layla cried. "I knew there was something wrong with that guy. I _knew _it!"

* * *

**So, what'd you think? Are you happy about how Flora and the other girls reconciled? Or do you think it should've been done a different way? Let me know!**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Tecna and Cyros head through Omega, bonding more and more together.**

**\- We meet Vasiliev and get a bit into his thoughts, seeing how he's managing the whole situation.**

**\- The Ivanov family runs into trouble.**

**See you all soon!**


	30. Chapter 28: Lost in Time

**Hello, everyone! I hope you're all doing okay – especially those of you in the really hot and really cold parts of U.S. I live on the east coast, but seeing as I'm not too far north, there's no snow, thankfully.**

**Today's chapter is a little different from others, in the sense that there will be multiple POVs addressed. We're at a point where I need to address some things that have been going on – otherwise, we won't be able to move on to the next stage in defeating Valtor.**

* * *

CHAPTER 28: LOST IN TIME

Igor Vasiliev closed his eyes as he walked around his office. The lab, which had been gifted to him by Premier Alexandrova ninety-seven years ago.

"The vines are growing at an inhuman rate," he observed, noticing the chemicals dripping into the test-tubes. "Unless culled, they will grow to the height of the Zenithian Palace. Excellent."

"Indeed," a voice behind him said. "And once the _T. Typhoonis _spreads to them, they will become more and more powerful."

Igor turned around and gazed at Medea. She was wearing a long satin black dress with a slit up the side. Clothes that were forbidden in Zenith. As Premier, though, she could wear whatever she liked, leaving millions of girls in awe of her, saddened that they'd never be nearly as beautiful. She continued speaking, her voice a mere echo.

"How long will it be until the vines burst into bloom?"

"Hmm… my shipping management is waiting for Linphean pollen, which they will get from the unit you sent to raid their countryside," Igor responded thoughtfully. "My potioneering staff must mix the pollen with other chemicals, and then pour it over the vines. And then my computer engineers must synthesize the data from all this. I'd say… about a month."

"You have done well, Igor." Medea smiled thinly. "And for that, you will be rewarded – immensely."

Igor didn't respond. He gazed at the vines ahead of him, which were all-but strangling one another in their determination to grow. Unable to grow out of the Impenetrable glass-case, they coiled around one another. At the top of the case, hundreds of test-tubes poured into the vines, sending in potions.

Those test-tubes didn't just send in potions, though – they also sent back readings. Readings which his statisticians analyzed, set after set. And now, one valuable member of their team was gone.

"You do not seem very happy with this news," Medea observed, staring at him. "Rather odd, if you ask me."

Igor swallowed and turned back to Medea. Here was a woman who could sense weakness in every action, with unmistakable cruelty and power. _I cannot get on her bad side… _Lowering his head, he whispered, "It pleases me immensely, Your Magnificence."

"Liar." There was no expression on Medea's face. "If that was the case, you wouldn't be pining for your darling cyborg."

A hand seemed to clench Igor's heart. _No, no, no… _Anastasia was dead. She'd finally cracked, just as he'd known she would. It had amused him, to watch her deteriorate over time, to watch her suffering reach unimaginable levels.

So why was he so sad she was gone?

"Your toy is gone," Medea stated flatly. "She's not here for you to play with anymore. And quite frankly, I have grown quite bored of watching you play with her. Find another toy – your work, perhaps." She walked out, not bothering to close the door behind her.

_Or else. _Medea hadn't said those words, simply because she hadn't needed to; it was just understood. Just as Igor had controlled Anastasia's life-source, Medea controlled his resources. At any point, she could backstab him, which Igor was fully aware of. He should not be thinking about Anastasia at all.

But the Linphean girl's words had struck a chord in his heart. What if she hadn't died in the portal? What if she actually was alive somewhere, and he didn't know? The very thought repulsed him, the idea that he might not know something about Anastasia's life. _She was _mine_ – I knew _everything _about her. _And if she was still alive, and he couldn't be there to control her – well, that just didn't bode even thinking about.

_Stop thinking about that cyborg_, he thought forcefully. _She's gone and never coming back. Anyhow, once I make a breakthrough, I'll have as many playthings as I desire. _He smiled wanly, bowing his head.

But inside, he couldn't break the sadness that threatened to destroy his heart.

* * *

"I'm hungry," Cyros complained, sitting down at the campfire. "Come on, let's go get food."

"We're not going anywhere," Tecna said firmly. "There's a blizzard out there, and I don't want you getting stuck in an iceberg for another millennium. There's fish in the ice-box, and you can go eat those."

"But I want fresh food," Cyros pouted.

Tecna sighed. Taking care of Cyros was hard work; she hadn't realized twelve-year-old boys got bored so easily. _I can't entertain him all the time. _She sighed, staring at the ground.

A week or so had passed since they'd met each other. Or something like that – Tecna had lost track of time since she'd landed in Omega. The two of them had become like family; they had their fights and squabbles, and their fun, too.

Their food security was terrible; getting through each day was all they focused on. Nonetheless, it seemed like a comfort to Tecna to not have to code every set, on top of twenty-thousand other things. This felt good, somehow – as if she was set free by the simplicity of life.

As the days went by, the ache of missing her friends somehow diminished. She found it was much easier to stop grieving when she had someone else she could spend her energy on, someone whom she wanted to build up. Cyros, after all, was her life. But at odd moments like this, sadness overtook her, and she remembered her old life.

She remembered how she had helped Flora two years ago, when they were testifying at the Trix's trial. It was the first time they'd ever gone to trial – never did they imagine that they'd have to face the Trix again. Flora had been scared to speak at the trial, and had confided her fears in Tecna.

"I'm worried," she said. "What if I say the wrong thing? What if they're not locked away? What if I'm" –

"Flora," Tecna said, cutting her off. "According to my calculations, there's a 100% chance the Trix are going to be convicted." She couldn't believe the witches hadn't pled guilty. "But in order to lock them away for good, you need to tell the court what happened."

"But what if they're not convicted?" Flora whispered. "Then Bloom's life will be in danger! What if" –

"Flora," said Tecna, and suddenly, she understood. She knew why Flora was so scared of talking in the court. "You think it'll be your fault if Bloom gets attacked again, do you?"

Flora nodded fearfully.

"Well, I'm going to tell you that's completely illogical," Tecna said firmly. "There are so many people who disliked Domino as a realm – that's just a fact. And now that Bloom's been revealed to the world as its princess, she's going to be a target. It's inevitable! But we have to be brave. Look, we're her" – she hesitated when she used the word – "friends. And the first step to protecting her is throwing these witches in the slammer for good."

Flora hesitated, and then she nodded. "Thanks, Tec," she said, huskily. "I needed that."

"Flora Fernández!" the bailiff called.

Flora gave Tecna's arm a squeeze. "I'll see you soon," she whispered. Then she disappeared into the courtroom and up to the stand.

Tecna closed her eyes, wishing she could have all those moments back. Wishing she could see Flora again, that they could care for each other. But she knew that would never happen. The nature-fairy was worlds away, and they would never see each other again.

"_Sestra_!" Cyros grinned, using the Unified Zenithian word for "big sister". "Look at what I'm doing!"

Tecna opened her eyes; immediately, she had the shock of her life. Cyros was balancing at the edge of the cliff above her, laughing as he teetered over the edge. _That's a five meter drop… _She immediately stood up.

"Get back here!" she shouted. "You can't fly!"

"But it's so much fun!" Cyros laughed. "Isn't it?"

"I think you and I have very different definitions of 'fun'," Tecna said grimly. "Get back here!"

"Woah!" Cyros gasped as he slipped off the cliff. He screamed as he began to free-fall, straight towards the ground.

"I got you!" Tecna ran forward, creating a digital net. Cyros gasped as he was caught in it, falling slowly to the ground. Lying on his back, he opened his eyes.

Tecna glared down at him with her hands on her hips, trying her hardest to hide her amusement. _This kid is trouble… _Eventually, she extended her hand, and Cyros pulled himself up.

"All right, let's go do something," she sighed. "If I don't take you somewhere, who knows what kind of trouble you'll end up in next?"

* * *

Timmy walked down the street, feeling more and more miserable by the second. His head bowed, he walked up to the Chef of Magix Café, slamming down into an empty booth. There was no one else there, which left him free to his own miserable thoughts.

He had come to this café with Tecna many times. Once they'd come here earlier this year, shortly after Tecna's disappearance from campus. He'd asked Tecna if she was okay, and she'd lied. Another time was last year, after the loss of the Red Fountain Codex.

"I know you've all been working really hard," he had grinned, "so I went and got you a new transmitter." He lifted a valve in his hands.

"Wow, you got me a present," Tecna answered, her voice sounding a little too bright. "Thanks." A frown was on her face as she took the gift.

"The model was just upgraded, so it'll keep your computer functioning," he said. "Isn't that cool?"

"Yes," she answered, the frown still on her face.

Now Timmy began to feel a little nervous. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, but it's a gift for my computer, not for me," she answered, looking rather downcast.

"Oh." Timmy didn't know what to say. A smile came on his face as he thought of something. "Hey, I was thinking" –

"What?" Tecna asked, a spark of excitement starting to shine in her eyes.

"This transmitter has some really cool features," he grinned. "What do you say you teach me how to" –

"Look, Timmy," Tecna said suddenly, standing up. He shut his mouth instantly, staring at her irritated eyes. "I came here to take a break from computers, okay? Why don't we meet another time when you're ready to talk less about software and more about _us_?" She stormed off, leaving Timmy's mouth agape, wondering what in the world was up with this girl.

Now he knew, of course, what a fool he'd been. _I treated her like nothing more than a computer – and this was _before _I knew she had a computer inside… _He wished he'd been more sensitive to her Zenithian heritage, wished he'd been better to her. Maybe then she would've trusted him with whatever was going on in her life.

"Timmy?" A soft voice said. Timmy looked up, staring as Flora walked towards him. She was wearing a pink sweater and skirt with skin-colored leggings and pink boots. Under her arm, she held a laptop.

"What did you want me to come here for?" he asked coldly, getting to the point. "Why do you want me here?"

Flora looked startled. "I didn't mean to bother you, Timmy – I just wanted your help" –

"If it's just about computers, well, you can forget it," Timmy said shortly. "I have more important things to do, okay? Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off." He got up and began walking towards the exit.

"Timmy, wait!" Flora called after him. "You can't leave like this! It's really important!"

"Why?" Timmy answered angrily. "So that you can give me a lecture about how I should get over Tecna, and leave her behind forever?"

"What are you talking about?" Flora cried, aghast. Timmy glared at her.

"I'm talking about what you've all been saying!" he snarled. "You all think I'm just obsessed! Sky, Brandon, and Riven won't shut up about how I need to 'take care of myself' and 'relax'. It's become, like, their favorite word now. And _your _friends have told me that I'm in denial" –

"What's going on here?" a voice called from the kitchen. Timmy froze as he turned around.

It was none other than Agni Khatri, the Chef of Magix himself. He held a spatula in his large hand, his ridiculously-large chef's hat stark white against his black hair. "What's goin' on, mates?" he asked amicably.

"Nothing," Timmy said, scowling. "We were just leaving."

"So soon?" Chef Agni demanded. "But you haven't even tried today's special! Why don't you sit down and treat your girlfriend to some lunch?"

Timmy saw Flora shrink back at the mention of being his "girlfriend"; the very thought outraged him. "My _girlfriend_ is missing," he snarled. Chef Agni peered at him closely, and frowned.

"Wait, I think I hurd 'ah you," he muttered. "Aren't you the boyfriend of that young woman who died in the Omega Portal? What was her name? Tulsa? Tina?"

"Tecna," Timmy said with gritted teeth. He didn't want to hear his speech, not even in the slightest. The chef sighed with pity.

"So sorry to hear that, mate," he said. "I'll go and get you some food." He headed into the kitchen, the spatula still in his hand.

Timmy didn't want to sit down. But now that he was stuck here, he knew he might as well. "What do you want?" he asked Flora shortly.

"I need your help," Flora said urgently, placing a laptop on the table. Peering down at it, he let out a gasp.

"Zenithian model?" he said in alarm, opening it up.

"This is Tecna's laptop," Flora answered. "I went to Zenith, not too long ago, in order to find answers. I managed to swipe this laptop from her house."

"You _what_?" Timmy stared at Flora, completely stunned. "And you didn't think to tell me about it?"

"I" – Flora stared at him, startled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Timmy snapped. "You should've called me! I would've gone with you to see what was going on!"

"I didn't find much of anything," Flora said defensively. "Actually, no." She swallowed. "I found that Tecna was a cyborg."

"_Is _a cyborg," Timmy said through gritted teeth. "And yes, I already knew that. She told me."

"What?" Flora stared at him in surprise.

"A long time ago," Timmy said impatiently. "What else did you find out?"

"I found Tecna's employer – Vasiliev, a member of Alexandrova's cabinet," Flora whispered. "He tried to capture me, but I escaped him. He was going to use me as a test-subject in his laboratory."

"Laboratory?" Timmy asked, puzzled. "What exactly is he making?"

"I couldn't figure that out," Flora admitted. "But it's not anything good – that much I can assure you."

"That man," Timmy said, clenching his fists. He hated Igor Vasiliev with the fire of a thousand suns, more than he'd ever hated anyone in his life.

"Special?" a voice called to them. Agni was back, with two plates – a spicy chicken platter and a dosa with a coconut chutney. "You're Linphean, no?" he asked Flora.

"Yes," answered Flora, taking the dosa plate. "Thanks." She tore off a piece of the lentil crepe with her fingers, dipping it into the sauce.

Timmy stared at the platter. He hadn't eaten much since Tecna's disappearance, and he was suddenly ravenous. _But I can't eat – she's gone… _He looked up at the Chef of Magix, who smiled. "Eat, boy." He handed him a fork and knife. "It'll get cold real fast."

Tentatively, he took a bite of the chicken, and gasped in surprise. It was crispy on the outside, and flavorful on the inside. Covered in a spicy yet soothing sauce, it filled him from head-to-toe with warmth. He stared up in astonishment at Agni.

"This is really good," he admitted.

"Listen, kiddo," Agni said, settling down next to them. "I know how much it hurt to lose someone ya love. Hundred-and-six years ago, I lost mah wife. It still hurts every day."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Flora said sympathetically.

_But Tecna isn't dead_, Timmy thought. _Why do I need to hear this? _He fought the urge to slam the chicken-platter in Agni's stupid face.

"But I also know one thing," Agni continued, "and it's that ya can't let yourself die away 'cause of this. Ya still got a life, even if it's one without yer beloved, and ya need to live it. That's what I learned when I took up cookin'. It fills mah soul with joy ta make food for those who need it, sharing my stories and wisdom through flavor and palate."

"And why are you telling me this?" Timmy muttered.

"'Cause you'll find your way," the chef answered. "Listen, I don't know much 'bout what your UR business, but I gotta say, I admire yer courage. No matter how many times ya guys get licked, ya keep on goin'. That takes guts, kid, guts. And just remember this – the world needs ya. So keep on fightin', and keep on eatin', so ya can fill the world with yer magic. And just remember this – whatever path ya wanna go on, life often takes ya somewhere else. Instead of feelin' despair, though, ya should feel hopeful, 'cause it means the gods have something greater planned for you than ya could've ever imagined. So have faith, no matter what. You'll get there in the end."

"Thanks," Timmy murmured. The words had been surprisingly inspiring, and he bowed his head. "How much do we owe you?"

The chef grinned. "It's on the house, kid. Now listen, you take care of yerselves – and don't be tellin' anyone 'bout this one-time deal. I ain't gonna have the whole of Magix crowdin' mah doorstep, beggin' fer free eats. See ya later." He walked into the kitchen.

Timmy finished his chicken, wondering how in the world they'd managed to get the most renown chef in Magix City to give them free food. He gazed up at Flora, who had finished her dosa long ago and was gazing at him patiently.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"This laptop has all of Tecna's coding-information on it," Flora said. "We need to use it to find out what happened to her."

"I don't understand." Timmy stared at the screen, taking it from her. "She has a laptop in the Alfea dorms already. Why can't we use that?"

"Digit and I tried," Flora answered. "There's nothing there. We think that Vasiliev deleted the files. But for some reason, he wasn't able to delete these files – only remotely-lock them."

"That's because these files were locked long ago, not a few days ago," Timmy answered, finding the date in which the files had been locked. "They were all locked years ago – Unimensis 16, 1005."

"Wait a minute!" Flora stared in confusion at the date. "That's the exact date of Tecna's tenth birthday!"

"_What_?" Timmy stared in shock. "What does that mean?"

"Tecna must've started working for him on that date," Flora answered urgently. "We need to find out why, and _what _she was doing all this time! Why she _died_ to" –

"She's not dead."

The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. Flora stared at him in surprise, her mouth wide open.

"That's not possible," she whispered. "We all saw it, Timmy. We all saw her die."

"I don't care what you _think _you saw," Timmy snapped. "Listen, I know you've never been in love, but when you are, you can feel your lover's magical energy inside of her. If she was gone forever, there'd be a void, an emptiness inside of me. But there isn't. I know she's alive somewhere, and I want her to come back. I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring her back home."

He thought he saw an odd blush come across Flora's face, but it vanished just as quickly as he saw it. Her green eyes were indecisive, and Timmy knew that she didn't believe him, though she was too polite to say it. He let out a sigh.

"I'll help," he said. "Give me the laptop." She handed it to him, but not before adding, "Timmy?"

"Yes?" he answered curtly, holding the laptop in his arms.

"My friends think I'm obsessed, too," she said softly. "But I don't care – this is _important_. We need to find out what happened to Tecna, why she left us. I promise you that Digit and I will do whatever we can to help you figure this out."

He nodded, feeling suddenly relieved that Flora was there to help him. Carrying the laptop, he headed to his hoverbike.

* * *

"Finally," Cyros grinned. "Fresh food."

Tecna looked at him with exasperation. _I guess one part of being a _Sestra _is caving to his demands every once-in-a-while… _She heated the trout over the fire.

"Any idea why there's so much fish here, anyways?" she asked.

Cyros shrugged. "Mistress Yuie told me this realm used to be made almost entirely out of water. So I guess a lot of fish lived here. But then they brought ice-warlocks in to freeze this entire place, which is why there's still fish frozen on the walls."

"Okay then. Good to know." Tecna gazed over at the boy, who still looked sad. "You miss her, don't you?"

"Yeah," he said. "I try not to think about them, though."

"I know," Tecna sighed, thinking of her friends and family. "I know just what you mean."

She wondered what her family had been told. Since information on Zenith was always limited, she wasn't sure if they knew the full story. _They should know by now that I'm dead, though. _Sadness came over her as she stared down.

She missed them deeply. Although they hadn't always showed it, she knew they'd always loved her. Not even in big ways; just little ways, like when her mother pushed her to apply to Alfea and her father had made her join Vasiliev's laboratory.

True, they were gruff and often scolded her. But most of it was because they hadn't had any choice. In a world where freedom-of-speech essentially didn't exist, they'd had to teach her to use her words carefully. And also how to compete. She'd been forced to attend competition after competition, pushed to the outermost extreme of work. After all, it had only been logical that she keep her brain open and her mouth shut.

_But I don't have to follow the creed of logic anymore. _She was beginning to realize, more than ever, that she didn't have to be a slave to its demands. She didn't have to pretend to be someone that she was not. Just like how she'd begun to realize that day in freshman year, when she and Timmy had developed the advanced-warning transmitter…

"Let's compare the data," Timmy had said as they sat in a Red Fountain spaceship, meters apart. "If our hypothesis is correct, only sub-spacial interference could interfere with the wave-energy transmission. But the percentages are so low that – are you listening to me, Tecna?"

"Yes, of course, Timmy," Tecna answered distractedly. An odd feeling had settled over her, one that panged at every intake of air he took, every word he spoke. _It's a good thing we're sitting so far apart. _"You were talking about low-transmission rates, correct?"

"Er… all right, then," the Magixian boy said, sensing things had turned awkward. "Could you check the stability-levels of the energy-barrier for me then, please?"

_Timmy… _Tecna stared down at her computer, at the dashboard of numbers ahead of her. Numbers that signified everything they needed to know about the transmitter. Numbers had always been such an important part of her life, but now… she didn't know what to think.

She remembered how much things had changed throughout the year. How she'd slowly come to realize that everything she'd believed in her first fifteen years of life was not the case. How she'd come to appreciate the carefree Magixian way of life, even though she couldn't partake in it. And most importantly, how she'd met her best friend, even though a Linphean – Flora – the best friend anyone could ask for. She'd always been there for her in times of trouble, always there to help her out.

And then, of course, there was Timmy – the boy she could no longer avoid, now that he'd relocated to campus. The boy who she'd at first been disdainful of for his shyness, but at the same time, whom she had learned so much from. He'd taught her so much about strategy and Magixian technology, and she had come to enjoy his company. A lot. Once she'd come to realize that, she'd nervously begun avoiding him, terrified of going against her parents' creed.

But now, the entire realm was at stake. She couldn't hold back any longer, couldn't stop herself from being who she was. Even if she didn't know who she was herself. She stared straight into the computer-screen, analyzing the data.

Through her internal screen, she thought she could see the numbers re-arranging themselves, moving so that they now resembled a heart. A concept that had been once so foreign to her, but now, one she was slowly beginning to understand. She smiled.

_Maybe_, she mused to herself, _maybe I can put logic aside for a while and let myself be swayed by emotion. After all, it can't be that bad._

* * *

_A week earlier_

Annika Ivanova stood on the balcony of her mansion, staring down at the ground. Snow upon snow covered the lawns; the roads, though, were mowed daily with high-efficiency robots.

She still remembered her daughter's face clearly, just as clearly as she'd remembered the woman's face on her phone, her expression sorrowful and pained. How white her hair had been, only slightly whiter than her daughter's skin. In one phone call, she'd delivered the most painful news Annika had ever had to bear in a lifetime.

_And now she's gone. _She lowered her head. _She's gone and she's never coming back._

Something was forming at her eyes. Something foreign and… _wet_. _What is this sensation I'm feeling?_

She hadn't cried in ten years. Zenithians were highly discouraged from crying, after all; it was considered improper to show emotions. Emotions meant weakness, and in a population where survival was not guaranteed, weakness was always exploited. And exploitation usually led to arrest by the People's Police. It was much easier to hide her feelings, to adopt the expressionless mask that every Zenithian was adept with.

The only time she'd ever broken down in public was when Anastasia was forced to become a cyborg.

Annika had cried when Igor Vasiliev had laid out the option. She had tearfully agreed to let him perform the procedure, along with her husband, and had also signed the legal agreement to register Anastasia as a cyborg. Under the Free Limb Act, cyborgs lost their citizenship, as well as the few rights that existed in the Zenithian Constitution. Since Anastasia was a minor, she couldn't sign the agreement, and so Annika and her husband had been forced to eternally waive her rights for her.

Unlike her husband, Annika had never liked Igor. He was too slimy, and always talked about work. And his level of interest in Anastasia seemed highly suspicious. She had never wanted Anastasia to work in his lab.

"I don't want her to work for him," she'd argued with her husband.

"Why not?" Mischa Ivanov was repairing a droid, barely listening to his wife's complaints.

"I don't trust him," she declared. "There is something wrong with him."

Mischa put the droid down and stared up at his wife. "Annika, I would trust my life with Igor. I've known him for nearly eighty-three years. He is completely trustworthy."

"I don't want our daughter going anywhere near him," Annika answered.

"Stop being so illogical," Mischa said shortly. "He operated on her to create her cyborg limbs. You didn't have a problem with that _then_."

"We had no choice then," Annika snapped. "But now we do, and I say she's not going near him."

"Fine then. Don't let her go," Mischa answered. "She'll have lost a valuable opportunity. Do you know of any other company that's willing to hire a cyborg for anything other than janitorial work? Igor actually _sees _her skill, which is why he wants her to work for him – for Her Magnificence, no less."

And Annika reluctantly agreed with him, for government jobs meant status, and status meant everything on Zenith. What Anastasia had lost by becoming a cyborg, she would gain by working in the Premier's laboratory. And that was how it stayed for the next seven years.

Until Anastasia joined Alfea.

From a young age, Anastasia had shown interest in magical defense; they'd even enrolled her in a combat school. She'd been the top in her class, her agility letting her outstrip professors decades older than her. They'd all commented on her mathematical skills, which they'd been sure would land her a career in intelligence. That was, until Anastasia became a cyborg.

Annika hated seeing Anastasia moping around the house, crushed at not being able to go for her dream career. And so she'd encouraged her daughter to apply to Alfea. Since the school only asked for her birth certificate, she'd sent that in, instead of the passport with the red word CYBORG stamped across the front. Her application had easily been accepted, and Anastasia had been filled with joy when she'd opened that thick envelope.

_But now she's gone_, Annika thought sorrowfully. Anastasia, who'd always wanted to save the world. And she had – but at the ultimate price.

The door opened, and Annika turned around. Her husband was standing inside, motioning to her.

"Let's go inside," he said.

"No," she whispered. "I want to stay out here."

"Annika, please," Mischa begged. "You'll get sick standing out here. Besides, if the neighbors see you like this, they might report us for suspicious activity."

"Then let them!" she shouted. "Let them report me! Though I think they should report _you_, for letting her work with a suspicious man! It's _your _fault this whole thing happened!"

Mischa stepped back, shocked. Then his eyes hardened and he glared at her.

"_You're _the one who let her go to Alfea," he snapped. "You told her all this 'saving the world' nonsense, which she took to heart! It's because of _you _she's" –

He stopped as soon as he saw a ship above them. _That's… _Annika stared at the black-and-silver ship, petrified.

A trooper flew out of the ship, aiming a blaster at the two of them.

"Come with us peacefully, or we'll blow this whole house to the ground!"

* * *

Mischa whirled around in alarm. The policeman continued to point his blaster at them, and he lifted his hands up.

"Pardon me, sir," he said. "I think you've come to the wrong house. We're law-abiding citizens."

BANG. The blaster detonated, creating a puff of smoke. Mischa lifted his eyes and gasped in horror.

His wife had been blasted to the ground.

"Annika!" he shouted in alarm.

"I wouldn't worry about her," a voice above him said. "Worry about you."

Mischa looked up in horror. Igor Vasiliev was standing above him, his teeth flashing brilliantly white as he laughed.

"Igor!" he shouted. "What are you doing? Why are you… arresting us?"

"Her Magnificence's orders," Igor smiled. "Seemed to think you were going to cause some trouble. She ordered her men to come over here, and I said I'd come along. It's much more fun than ordering around those useless robots all day." His eyes glinted.

"My wife was right," Mischa whispered. "Igor, I _trusted _you. I thought you were going to make Tecna into someone great. But you _destroyed _her, the same way you're trying to destroy everyone!"

"Isn't that quite the exaggeration?" Igor asked silkily. "I'm _saving _the great regime of Zenith. We're going to rise up to the great status we once had."

"Igor, please don't do this," Mischa begged. "Whatever it is you're making, please don't. It's not going to turn out well."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Igor smiled. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you front-row seats when the time comes." He turned to his men. "Enough of this childish banter. Take them now."

Mischa could do nothing as the men handcuffed him. One carried his wife onto the ship, and he watched her helplessly as she disappeared in the Brig. He stared at the ground, at a complete loss for words.

_What have I done?_

* * *

**So, what'd you think? A bit fillerish, I know, but it laid down some important groundwork for later. I actually just wrote the Timmy scene today, because this chapter was feeling rather bare without it and I thought we needed to get into his feelings more.**

**Next chapter is not going to follow Flora. Instead, it will be a Special Chapter, following Mirta and Timmy at Alfea and Red Fountain. I am going to post that tomorrow, and the Flora chapter will commence as usual on Wednesday. So the schedule is not going to change too much – don't worry about it.**

**Let me know what you all think!**


	31. Special Chapter: Saving Alfea

**Happy Mother's Day! I hope you're all doing well and are able to celebrate. I made breakfast for my mother this morning. It wasn't the best, but as they say, it's the thought that counts. :)**

* * *

~Special Chapter: Saving Alfea~

_Mirta & Timmy_

"Good morning, girls," Wizkiz smiled at the girls. "Today, we are going to move on to more interesting studies."

Metamorphosis was Mirta's least-favorite class. It continually reminded her of Cloud Tower and the horrible transformations they'd had to learn there. _Transform into a flower, into a plant, into a _poisonous _plant… _It just seemed horrible.

In fact, until recently, fairies hadn't even known how to transfigure themselves. Since fairy-magic was more specialized than warlock-magic, their powers generally revolved around the environment and whatever source their magic came from. However, now that metamorphosis had become the 'in' thing, it was generally advised for fairies to have a basic knowledge in Metamorphosis and Potions. Thankfully, Metamorphosis wasn't required after the introductory level, which meant Mirta was quitting as soon as the semester ended. _I hate this class… _She lowered her head as Wizkiz continued speaking.

"We have mastered flower transformations," Wizkiz added. "Now, however, we are going to move to squash. Now that it's autumn, making squash more readily available, I believe this is an opportune time. Our first transformation will be – pumpkins."

Mirta's head shot up and she stared at Wizkiz in horror. _Anything but that, anything but that… _She lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"In order to transform, you must imagine what it's like to be a pumpkin," Wizkiz continued. "Imagine the orange flesh of the pumpkin, the warmth of the skin, the stalk"…

Yes, Mirta could imagine very well what it was to be a pumpkin. The stench of the animals sniffing her, the rubbery feel of the pumpkin's skin. For weeks afterwards, her skin had felt like pumpkin. _I can't do that again… _She closed her eyes.

"Now imagine it," Wizkiz continued. "Now imagine that you _are _the pumpkin. Feel it enveloping around you, the strength of your formation"…

Mirta clenched her fists together. _I can't, I can't… _But she remembered all too well what had happened that day.

She remembered finding Bloom in the forest, telling her what the Trix had planned for her. The Earth-raised fairy had listened in silence, and then nodded shakily.

"Thank you for telling me this," she said. "But I don't understand – why are you telling me this? Aren't you supposed to hate us fairies, like the rest of those witches?"

"She's not a witch," a familiar witch's voice drawled. "She's an annoying Wicca-wannabe, a serious reject. She's desperate for friends, _so _desperate she'll hang out with a _fairy_."

Mirta jumped back in fear. Icy, Darcy, and Stormy were hovering over them, smirking and laughing. Bloom stood up, furious.

"Don't you dare talk to her like that," she snarled.

"Oh, she's defending her," Icy laughed. "So cute." She lifted an ice-sphere in her hands.

Suddenly, she yelled out as she was attacked by a sunbeam. She fell to the ground, gasping. Mirta looked up, and had the shock of her life.

Bloom's friends were flying towards them, in their sparkling outfits. Princess Stella of Solaria led the group, along with three other fairies Mirta didn't know. _We're saved… _She exhaled in relief.

"You pesky gnats are _so _annoying!" Icy snarled. "You are _so _over!"

"_You're _over!" Mirta tried to sound brave.

"Oh, please," Stormy said, rolling her eyes. "This isn't even a contest."

She flew into the air, collecting the wind around her. "Mad twister!" she roared, sending it towards the girls.

Princess Stella and the three other fairies screamed as the wind surrounded them. They tried to escape, but Stormy bound them with wind, keeping them stuck together.

"No!" Bloom shouted, transforming. She flew up towards her friends, trying to save them.

But Darcy shot a dark spell at her, and she was blasted to the ground. The Trix laughed gleefully, casting each other devious looks.

_That's it. I'm not letting them hurt them. _Mirta focused on the light around her, closing her eyes.

She had only a few seconds to make this work. _Manipulate the light so the Trix are fooled… _She bent the colors around her, as well as the sound.

A monster appeared in front of Stormy, and she jumped in horror. Immediately, the funnels disappeared, and the wind binding the four fairies also went back to its natural state. The girls stared at themselves in amazement, and then at the witches.

"I can't believe it!" Icy bellowed at her sister. "You let that loser break your concentration! You let a _freshman _trick you into letting those girls go!"

Mirta couldn't help but smile. _Wait until Lucy hears about this… _But then her smile quickly vanished as Icy turned to face her, her eyes monstrous.

"Mirta, _everything _about you makes me want to hurl!" she snarled. "Your do-good attitude, your treachery, your stupid T-shirt – hmm"… A gleam appeared in her eyes. "You like pumpkins so much, maybe you'd like to _be _one!"

She lifted her hands. The girls screamed in horror as she attacked the freshman girl. Mirta felt her insides twisting, her very body convulsing as she shot down –

"No!" Mirta screamed aloud.

Twenty girls turned around to stare at her. Even Wizkiz stopped his lecture, staring at her. "Miss Nakamura" –

But Mirta had already bolted out of the room, running out the building and towards the quad. _I can't do this… I just _can't_ – _She didn't stop running until she'd left the school gates behind.

_I can't remember those times… _Her knees collapsing, she sunk to the ground, weeping as memory after memory encased itself into her mind.

* * *

The cold Undecemensis breeze amplified as Timmy's hoverbike zoomed through Roccaluce Forest, the wind rushing against his face. He concentrated on the trail.

Nowadays he'd been coming out here on his own, without any of his friends. It was a way to let all his sadness out, to leave the now unbearable pressures of Red Fountain, the suffocating concern of all his friends and professors.

He just couldn't stop thinking about Tecna. _I know she's there, and I'm gonna save her… _Determination filled him as he drove through the forest, narrowly missing trees as he swerved left and right.

"You are obsessing," Nurse Munjal had said to him yesterday morning. He had been working furiously at Tecna's laptop, trying to figure out how to break into it, but with no success. "Tecna Ivanova is dead. I know it is painful, but you have to accept it."

"No!" Timmy shouted, glaring at Tecna's computer. "She's alive!"

"Denial is the first stage of grief," Munjal answered. "In order to begin the healing process, you must move to acceptance" –

"But she's _not dead_!" Timmy cried. "She's alive! I can _feel _it! And I'm gonna save her!"

"I'm afraid that's impossible," Munjal said solemnly.

"Let _me _handle this." Riven sauntered forward and grabbed Timmy's shoulders. "Get. A. Grip. You're losing your life because of this, buddy. She's a lost cause, and you're gonna have to accept that."

Timmy turned on him, furious. "How dare you call my girlfriend a lost cause?"

"I didn't mean that," Riven said defensively. "Look, she was great, okay? She was a strong, courageous person, and we'll always remember her" –

"_Is_, because she's _still alive_!" Timmy stormed out of the dormitory.

He could hear his suitemates calling to him in alarm. "Timmy, come back!"

"Let him go," Munjal had said. "This is the only way for him to handle his grief."

And now Timmy was biking past the forest, feeling less and less sure of himself as he replayed that scene in his head.

_What if they're right? _he thought. _What if she's truly gone? What if I'm really just making this all up in my head?_

After all, his friends were much stronger than him. Whereas they got through Wrangling and Fencing with straight-A's, he was lucky if he made a 'C'. _Maybe they're stronger than me mentally, too… Maybe they're right…_

No, he couldn't believe that. He couldn't _afford _to believe that. _I'll find her and bring her back home._

* * *

"Mirta, wake up."

Mirta opened her eyes. Flora was standing over her, concern in her eyes. She sat down next to Mirta and stroked her back.

"I heard about what happened in Wizkiz's class," she said. "Mirta, I'm really sorry. It still hurts, doesn't it?"

"Every day," Mirta answered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I still can't forget what she did."

Flora gently sat next to Mirta, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Take in a deep breath," she whispered, focusing her energy on the trees around her. "Allow Nature's soothing energy to seep into your heart. Let her cure you."

Mirta shuddered. Her breath came out in shallow pants and gasps, and she lowered her head. _I don't know if I can do this… _Tears streamed down her face.

"I don't understand why this is happening," she wept. "It's been years, and I still can't forget. I still can't let go of the pain she's inflicted."

"You're being too hard on yourself," Flora said gently. "You can't expect the pain to be gone yet. You went through trauma, after all. It will take time and healing for it to leave."

"Well, it hasn't gone away yet." Mirta felt her temper rising. "Eris still won't leave me alone. And half the freshman class treats me like I've got the plague. I hate it, and I want it to stop. And I wish old Wizkiz wouldn't force me to do the stupid spell!"

"Maybe you should think about why old Wizkiz _wants_ you to practice the spell."

Mirta's eyes shot up. In front of her was Professor Wizkiz, smiling slightly. He bowed once to the Whisperian fairy.

"I apologize for springing this on you," he said. "It was a mistake not to warn you first. However, there is a reason why I gave this assignment to your class."

"Why?" Mirta demanded, glaring at him. "How could you continue to make me suffer? How could you do this to me, especially after everything that's going on?"

"You're not the first fairy to suffer trauma," Wizkiz said calmly, settling down next to her. "Many great fairies have."

"How?" Mirta challenged him.

"You have no idea," Wizkiz said solemnly. "Loss of family-members, friends, and betrayals of unimaginable magnitude."

_Yes_, thought Mirta, unimpressed. _Like what I'm going through. _Wizkiz continued talking, his voice a low echo.

"A great fairy is not defined by her trauma, but by how she handles it. She suffers plenty, yes, but she never lets the pain destroy her spirit. She learns to overcome obstacles and remain in-tune with her powers. And above all, she keeps faith in herself. I have taught many fairies before you, and I can tell you that great fairies have been in your position. And you will prevail – but only if you make an honest effort to overcome your struggles." He nodded to Flora.

"Listen to your friend. She is well-versed in meditation and natural magic, and will be able to help you through this journey. The end result, however, is entirely up to you. There is no one who can help you out of this but yourself."

_Sounds uplifting_, Mirta thought as Wizkiz rose.

"Call on me if you are in need of any assistance," he said. "I will leave you now." He walked out of the forest, and Mirta stared after him. She turned towards her girlfriend.

"Do you think I can get through this?" she whispered.

"Of _course _I do, Mirta," Flora answered. "You've prevailed through so much already; this is just a small hitch in the road. You'll find your way." She took her hands.

Instantly, Mirta felt her heart warm at the feel of her girlfriend's hands. _I love her so much… _Flora continued talking, carefully modulating her voice.

"Sit quietly and comfortably. Close your eyes and allow Nature's energy to seep into your mind."

Mirta closed her eyes. She didn't feel any of Nature's energy, or whatever Flora was talking about. She took in a deep breath.

"Good," Flora said. "Continue breathing until you feel calmer and calmer. Take your time and let yourself relax."

And Mirta did find herself relaxing. _This is kinda comfy… _The world around her seemed to disappear.

The sound of the leaves falling drifted into the background. Noise within her own head began to quiet, and she felt more and more at peace. Dimly, she heard Flora's voice, guiding her through her spiritual journey.

"Now think about the sensation that terrifies you the most."

Mirta immediately stiffened. _Why's she making me do this… _But she couldn't stop thinking. She grimaced, remembering the time last year when she and the Winx had gone to Cloud Tower as exchange-students. She remembered being found by Darcy, trapped in the walls, with no escape…

"Remember the fear," Flora whispered, "and remember why it scares you. Remember every sensation it put you through, every pain"…

Darcy stuffing her into the wall, laughing. Telling her she was a loser fairy, that she was a traitor and a goner. The pained look on Lucy's face, and the panic Mirta felt while knowing there was nothing she could do to help her friend. Then Darcy blasted her, and then there was darkness –

"AHHH!" Mirta screamed, opening her eyes. "I can't do this!"

She jumped up and began to run out of the forest. _I can't remember… I can't… _She continued running wildly, with no plans to stop.

"Mirta!"

A set of vines appeared in front of her. Blindly, Mirta turned around to face Flora, who was walking up to her. She placed her hands on her shoulders.

"I know it's hard," she said gently, "but you have to do this, Mirta. It's the only way you'll get past your trauma."

"I can't," Mirta sobbed. "It's too painful."

Mirta followed her towards the tree and sat down. _I don't think I'll have the strength… _She closed her eyes.

_I'll never be a true fairy…_

* * *

Timmy frowned as he drove through the forest, slowing his hoverbike down.

Something was not right. He could sense some kind of dark energy around him, some kind of negative spells. _There's someone here who shouldn't be… _He shivered and pulled out his portable scanning-device.

For a second, he considered calling the boys at Red Fountain for backup, but then decided against it. They would immediately call a ship and start firing the place up. Besides, he wanted to prove he was capable of something, that he was good enough. _I'll _prove _to them who I am. _He clenched his fists.

_I wish Tecna was here. _She would be able to sense the trouble instantly through her cyborg brain. Grief stabbed his heart, and he opened the device.

He remembered his sophomore year at Red Fountain, the year he'd met Tecna. One unusually cold day in Quintmensis, he had proudly showed Tecna an invention he'd created, a portable device that could scan for witches. The very same device he was holding in his hands, in fact. Tecna gazed at it in his hands, frowning.

"How does it work?" she asked him.

"Well," Timmy had said, "you put in your coordinates, and then the scanner senses all around you. It scans everything within a 20-meter radius" –

"Which is nothing," Tecna interrupted him. "If you're about to be ambushed and you scan twenty meters around you, you're not going to find anything. If the enemies were twenty meters away from you, you'd see them."

Timmy felt defeated as Tecna pointed out the flaws in his machine. He lowered his gaze to the floor.

"And why do you need to put in your coordinates?" she asked. "Why can't the machine figure out your coordinates on its own? If you spend ages looking up your coordinates, the enemy could've already trapped you in a net. You need to make this device work quicker, so you can actually use it in a real situation." She grabbed it from him.

"Hey!" Timmy protested.

"I'm just re-programming some things," she said. "I'll start by upgrading the AI. That way, you'll be able to upgrade everything about this device." The look she gave him was almost pitying.

Back then, Timmy had resented her for it. He'd hated how someone else, especially a _girl_, could usurp him as the technology master. It had been the only thing that was special to him, and then Tecna had taken it all away from him.

Now, Timmy wished more than anything she was here with him. This device was one of the few remnants he had of her, and he would have to use it well. _Show me what's going on… _He activated the device.

For a few seconds, the device scanned around him. Then, Timmy saw it flare up, sending a warning signal. WITCH DETECTED. 149.3 METERS NORTH, 43 METERS WEST.

_I'd better check it out. _Trying to ignore the nerves in his heart, he rode forward, making sure to be as slow and soft as possible.

* * *

The girls still had made no progress. Mirta was pacing around, frustrated and agitated.

"I don't know why I can't get past it," she whispered. "It's just too painful to remember, Flora! I can't!"

"Yes, you can," Flora said patiently. "You'll be all right, Mirta. I promise you."

Mirta felt a blaze of anger rising in her. She turned towards Flora, her eyes flashing.

"What do _you _know?" she demanded. "You can't even help me! You're just trying to make me go through this useless meditation, which isn't making me any stronger!"

Flora jumped back, startled. To her surprise, Mirta saw tears appearing in her girlfriend's eyes. _I'm sorry… _She bowed her head.

"I shouldn't have said that," she whispered.

"It's okay," Flora responded. "You're frustrated" –

"No, I shouldn't have said that."

There was a silence. Mirta gazed up and saw that the sun was setting; it was almost nineteen o'clock. _Great… _She lowered her head.

"I had an idea," Flora said, breaking the silence. "Remember the concert tonight, in Magix? I know we weren't planning on going tonight, but it could be fun. The other Winx girls got tickets. Practically the whole school's going, so we could have some fun together" –

"No." Mirta stared at the ground. "I think I'll stay here."

"All right." Flora nodded. "I'll stay here with you."

"No," Mirta repeated. "I need to do this on my own."

Flora stared at her in surprise. Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay," she whispered. "If you need anything, call me." She gave her a squeeze and disappeared into the twilight.

Mirta sighed and leaned against the tree, closing her eyes. _I've got to find my way… _She focused on her breath again, her eyes narrowing.

Then she heard someone rustling through the bushes. And then a blaster jet zoomed past her, just barely missing her arm by centimeters. Squealing, Mirta dove out of the way and stared up, wondering what was going on.

* * *

"Who's there?" Timmy demanded, stepping forward.

He pushed through the bushes, trying to sound as threatening as possible. _That witch's gonna be sorry she ever tried to mess around… _Glaring, he stepped forward.

And then stared at who he saw.

Mirta was lying on the ground, wincing. Twigs were in her hair, and she looked exhausted. She glared up at Timmy.

"Oh," Timmy said, at a loss for words. "Sorry."

"Want to explain why you're shooting blaster jets at my head?" she asked coolly.

"Well"… Timmy scratched his head. "My sensors detected witch presence around here, so I had to be cautious. But that witch presence turned out to be… you." He frowned at his device. "Guess I need to re-code it. It thought you were a witch."

"Great." Mirta didn't look very happy. "You know, witches have just as much of a right to come to the forest as we do. You have no right to attack someone just because of who you think she is."

"Sorry." Timmy couldn't help but feel ashamed. "I didn't mean to." He frowned. "But there definitely is someone around here who shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?" Mirta asked skeptically.

"I can just _feel_ it," Timmy answered. "It's difficult to explain."

"Well, looks like I'm out-of-touch with _my _feelings." Mirta sighed. "I probably should've been able to sense a witch's presence, especially considering I used to be one."

"Actually, by _my _count, you're _still _one."

Timmy jumped and turned around. An Eraklyonese fairy walked forward, her eyes snide and lips formed into a smirk.

"_You_ again," Mirta said through gritted teeth.

"I heard about your little meltdown," the fairy sneered. "About how you ran out of Wizkiz's class because you couldn't turn into a pumpkin. How pathetic is that? A hag who can't turn into a pumpkin." Her laugh sent chills down Timmy's spine. "You witches love pumpkins so much. You keep them next to you, even when they're rotting. The whole of Witch Alley in Magix City reeks at this time of year."

"Hey, leave her alone," Timmy glared at the girl. He didn't like her attitude, and he certainly didn't like how she kept insulting Mirta. "She's just as much a fairy-being as both of us."

"Yeah, _right_," Eris laughed. "She's a total hag – and you're a hag-traitor, too! I bet your girlfriend is curling in her grave right now!"

Timmy didn't even stop to think. The next thing he knew, he had pinned Eris against a tree, his blaster in his hand. The Eraklyonese fairy's eyes widened as she stared at Timmy.

"Don't – you – _dare _– insult – Tecna," he snarled. His breath was coming out heavily, and his eyes were wide. "If you _ever _do that again" – he held the blaster in his hands, pointing it straight at her neck. She stared at him, her eyes wide.

He didn't hear the rock barreling straight at his side. He fell to the ground, his forehead scraping against a tree-root. Stars thudded his head as he heard Eris's sneering laugh, the girl disappearing into the woods.

"Are you okay?" Mirta demanded.

"Fine," he muttered, standing up. It was then that he noticed that Mirta was standing a good few meters away from him, looking alarmed.

"What?" he snapped.

"You can't just _attack _people like that," Mirta whispered. "That – that's not okay, Timmy. Even someone like Eris. You looked like you were about to – _kill _her."

Timmy snorted. "I wouldn't have."

"How was she supposed to know that?" Mirta demanded. "She missed and hit your side, but she was aiming to hit you over the head with that rock. And quite honestly, I would've let her."

Her words stung. _What have I become? _He knew that she was right, that a part of him had become unhinged, unrelentingly ruthless. But if the world hadn't have dropped him on his head, none of this would be happening. _I just need to find what's inside that computer, and everything will be okay. _He sighed.

"Wait, what's that?" Mirta said, startled.

"What?" Timmy asked.

"I sense witch energy around here," Mirta whispered. "And not the good kind. Someone with a negative aura has come here."

_So I was right. _"What do we do?" he asked.

"Figure out who they are!" she answered.

Timmy grabbed his device again. _Maybe if I can sense their power-sources, we'll have a reasonable guess… _He scanned it again, making sure it went to the full kilometer-radius.

He gasped at what he saw. Three witches, with the powers of electricity, darkness, and ice. According to his scanner, they were heading south. "That way is towards Alfea!"

"The school is unprotected!" Mirta looked at him in alarm. "What are we going to do?"

"Stay calm," Timmy answered. "We've gotta think of a plan." He closed his eyes.

In the back of his mind, he remembered the Resort Realm trip. How he'd managed to save everyone, and impress Tecna in the end. _Tecna, I'm going to do this for you… _A small smile came on his face.

"I know what to do," he said.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Mirta was flying towards Alfea. _I've got to warn everyone… _Timmy was headed there too, on his bike. They had decided to go separate ways; that way, if one of them was intercepted by the Trix, the other would likely make it to Alfea safely. _Come on, come on…_

A spell hit her in the back, and she screamed as she fell to the ground. _Who's that? _She lay reeling on the ground, stunned and shocked. _Not the Trix… not the Trix…_

"Well," a voice drawled, "if it isn't the old hag."

Stunned, Mirta turned around. "_Eris_?" she breathed.

The Eraklyonese fairy glared at her. She was wearing her gray fairy-outfit, looking grim and metallic. She leaned forward, and the former witch shrank back.

"Don't think I don't know what's going on," she hissed. "The Trix are here, and you want the glory of beating them. Well, you can forget about it. _I'm _going to defeat them, all by myself. The glory will all be mine."

"What are you talking about?" Mirta breathed.

"Did you not hear me?" Eris glared at her. "I'm the top of the sophomore class. If anyone can beat the Trix, it's _me_. You are _not _going to ruin my chances."

"Eris, don't do it!" Mirta called. "It's not a good idea. You're going to get hurt!"

"Shut up, _hag_," Eris snarled. "I'm gonna beat them, and you can't stop me! In fact, I'm making sure you don't get out of here!"

Mirta cried out as rock jutted out of the ground, surrounding her on all four sides and at the top. _I'm trapped… _She stared hopelessly as Eris laughed.

"Enjoy your prison, hag," she laughed. And then she disappeared.

* * *

"Hello?" Timmy called as he entered Alfea.

There was no answer. Swallowing, Timmy remembered that the protection barrier was up, now that Faragonda had left the school. _How am I gonna get in? _He saw a bell at the school entrance, and rung it.

A minute later, a secretary came to the front. Timmy recognized her as Ms. Ira. The woman frowned and gazed at Timmy, scrutinizing the cut on his forehead. "Who are you, young man?"

"I'm a student at Red Fountain," Timmy answered.

"ID," Ms. Ira answered.

Timmy could've smacked himself. _I didn't remember my ID… _He stared at her desperately.

"Please," he begged, "let me in. It's an emergency."

"Not without an ID," Ira was already heading away.

Timmy stared after her. _She has to listen to me… _He called out.

"Please!" he shouted. "I came to warn you! The Trix are coming here to attack!"

That halted Ira. She turned around, frowning as she stared at him. "The Trix are here?"

"Yes!" Timmy shouted. "I have a plan, but you just have to let me in!"

"This could be a trap," Ira said, her eyes narrowing. "You could be one of the Trix, disguised as a Red Fountain Specialist. I don't trust you."

"If that was the case, then I'd be wearing my uniform, don't you think?" Timmy asked.

Ira frowned. "I was told not to let anyone in, under any circumstances. I will contact the Headmistress." She reached for her phone and dialed it. Then she frowned.

"The server isn't picking up," she said. "The cell-phone service has been shut down around here."

"Stormy," Timmy gasped. _She must've used her powers to cut the lines… _Ira frowned at him.

"I suppose I have no choice," she said. "Come on in." She opened the gates.

Shakily, Timmy walked inside Alfea. "We have to warn all the girls," he said.

"That's what I'm here for." Ira walked into her office, where Timmy saw a large megaphone. She connected to the emergency system and called out into it.

"Attention all students: come to the quad immediately!"

Five minutes later, twenty bewildered girls were lined up, all freshmen and sophomores. Timmy recognized Nova, one of Mirta's friends. The girl's eyes narrowed as she looked at Timmy.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"The Trix are here," Timmy answered.

The girls gasped in horror. "_What_?" cried a Fulgurian girl.

"They can't get through the barrier!" a Melodian protested.

"If it's them, they'll break through the barrier quickly," Timmy said grimly. "And we're positive it's them. Mirta and I detected them on my sensor."

"Then where's Mirta?" Nova demanded.

"She was supposed to meet me here," Timmy answered, frustration building up in him. _What's taking her so long? _"Listen, guys. We need to secure the school as best as we can, until we can get backup."

"How're we gonna do that?" a Linphean asked.

"I have a plan," Timmy answered. "We're gonna pretend that no one's here. Go to your rooms and turn the lights out. Do you know what guerrilla-style warfare is?" The girls shook their heads. "It means that we don't stand in a straight line and fight them. Instead, we hide behind corridors and attack very sneakily. We'll also set up traps for them to fall into."

"But we won't be able to defeat them!" an Androsian girl protested.

"We don't need to," Timmy said. "We just need to hold them off until Faragonda arrives." He looked at Ira. "Can you get a message to the headmistress?"

"I'll send Livy immediately," Ira answered.

"Listen, everyone," Timmy said. "We know the witches are gonna go to the Archives. You" – he looked at a Linphean girl – "go warn Concordia."

"I'm on it!" The girl ran towards the school.

"She'll secure the Archives so no one will get in," Timmy told them. "The rest of us will hide in the corridors leading up to the Archives." He looked at them. "Ready?"

"Yes," twenty girls said in unison, although some looked more scared than the others, particularly the freshmen.

"Don't worry," Timmy said. "We can do this. I believe in us."

_I hope you're proud of me, Tecna… _he thought. After all, it had been the technology-fairy who'd taught him about guerilla warfare. _Please, let's make it through._

* * *

"No!" Mirta shouted as she lay on the ground. She slammed the rocks with the strongest spell she had.

Nothing happened. Exhausted, Mirta lay on the ground, panic overtaking her as she lay down.

_I can't believe this_, she thought, her head aching. _I can't believe I'm stuck here…_

She could only remember one time this scary, and that had been when she and Lucy had patrolled Cloud Tower. It had been a day last year, when Faragonda had sent her and the Winx to protect the Codex of Cloud Tower. She remembered how Darcy had showed up out of nowhere, ambushing them in the halls…

"I think there's something going on here," Lucy had said, nervously staring at the walls.

Mirta frowned. "We need to contact Bloom," she declared, grabbing her ruby coin. She looked at Lucy, nervously. "You're okay with that, right?"

"Yeah," Lucy said defensively. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you don't exactly care for the fairies," Mirta pointed out.

"Of course I don't," Lucy answered. "I hate how they've trampled on centuries' worth of warlock power, and I _hate _how they think they're better than us. But the Winx have saved us from so much trouble before. And what's more, _you _trust them. So if you're okay with them, then I'm okay with them, too."

Mirta smiled at Lucy, feeling happiness well up inside her. "I'm glad." She took her friend's hand.

"How pathetic," a voice behind them said. "A witch working with a _pixie_."

Mirta and Lucy spun around. Darcy was standing in front of them, a smile on her face.

"Oh no," Lucy whispered, horrified.

"You think _you _can evade me?" Darcy laughed at Lucy. "You've forgotten how it'll always be: _you _do what _we _tell you to do. And yet, here you are, evading your witch roots."

"I'm not one of _you_!" Lucy yelled.

"Then what _are _you?" Darcy smirked. "A pixie-traitor?"

Lucy trembled. Darcy turned to Mirta, her eyes flashing.

"You're gonna wish you stayed a pumpkin, you little gnat," she snarled. "You're the worst of them all. You want to be a _fairy_." She said the words as if something was stuck in her throat. "Mark my words, you're never gonna be anyone. You'll be rejected by everything, and everyone."

Mirta felt tears come to her eyes. _That isn't true… _But she couldn't deny the sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Later," Darcy smirked. "Oh, and have fun spending eternity as a wall-decoration!"

Lucy and Mirta screamed as they were slammed into the wall. It turned to plasma around them, and they sunk inside, helpless and terrified.

Then, total darkness. They could hear nothing but Darcy's demonic laugh as they lay there, completely trapped.

_I'm trapped_, Mirta thought, her eyes squeezing shut. _Please, please help me. _She closed her eyes.

_Don't make me stay here_, she silently begged. _Please let me find them…_

* * *

"Ready?" Timmy whispered.

The girls nodded. They stood in formation, behind various different corridors.

"Make that root darker so it blends into the floor," he whispered to María, a Linphean freshman. "Darcy has excellent night-vision, so she'll see it immediately."

"Got it," María nodded, making the magi-root whither slightly.

"Are the escape-chambers prepared?" Timmy turned to the Androsian fairies.

The four fairies, Jamila, Ayla, Fatima, and Amina, nodded. They'd bent water-molecules into carts, which were attached by a pulley-system of magi-vines and reinforced by electricity. Yasmin of Fulgur was controlling the pulleys with her lightning-power.

"I put some rocks on some of them," Agatha of Eraklyon said. "We can open one of the pulleys and tip them onto the witches' heads."

"That's a good idea," Colleen of Summa grinned. "I can heat them up, too! Icy's gonna hate that!"

"Let's not waste our energy on that," Timmy advised the fire-fairy.

"Guys!" Bao of Melody ran towards them, whispering. "I hear them coming!"

"Hide!" Timmy hissed, and they all scattered.

There was dead silence. Dimly, Timmy could hear voices from the other end of the hall.

"This place is gonna be so easy to trash," Darcy grinned. "There's no one here."

"Yeah," Stormy laughed. "And we caught that loser fairy hanging out near Roccaluce, too."

_What? _Timmy thought, a bad feeling settling in his gut. _They can't have caught… Mirta? _Was that why she hadn't showed up?

"Quiet," Icy hissed at her sisters. "Let's just get to the Archives and take their" –

A blast of blinding light interrupted her sentence. Yelling, the three witches backed down, covering their eyes in pain.

Timmy looked up. Nova and Dominica of Solaria were directing moonlight onto the Trix, who yelled as they were blasted. They staggered back, gasping.

"I can't see a thing!" Darcy wailed.

The light disappeared. Nova and Dominica rushed back to the wall, giggling as they escaped up a pulley.

Temporarily blinded by the light, Darcy's sight was clearly not working so well as it had before. The witches yelled as they tripped over Maria's vine.

"They knew we were coming!" Icy snarled.

"Go!" Timmy whispered to Colleen and Fatima.

The two girls worked together, bending fire and water until it lashed at the Trix. Colleen narrowly missed Darcy's head with a fireball, and Fatima lashed at Icy with Morphix. Then the two of them vanished.

"All that yucky pink fairy stuff is on your clothes!" Stormy stared at Icy.

"It's called Morphix, you dolt!" Icy snarled back. "There are fairies around here. Let's find them!"

She glared down the corner. Breaking into a run, she stared around, trying to find who was there. A lightning-volt shot towards her, straight from Yasmin.

But Icy deflected it with an icy blast, sending it towards the source. The Fulgurian fairy yelled, and Icy turned towards her, a curved smile on her lips.

"Looks like someone's up there," she laughed, flying towards the ceiling.

Timmy looked up in horror. Yasmin was situated up in the alcove, and he knew Icy was going to get her. _I can't let her stop our pulley system… _He leapt forward.

"Here I am!" he shouted.

"What?" Stormy turned towards him. "Is that the nerd from last time?"

"Total nerd," Icy laughed. "We never got the chance to give you a proper nerd-slam."

Timmy winced, remembering all too well how Icy, Darcy, and Stormy had chased him in the Resort Realm. _Here we go… _The witches advanced on him, their eyes glimmering.

"You're not getting Alfea's scrolls," he snarled.

"Really?" Icy laughed. "But I have a hostage." She pointed to the wall.

Timmy stared at her. Stormy was dragging Eris with her, a curved smile on her face.

"Let go of me, you hags!" Eris whimpered, fighting against the electrical binds. She screamed as Stormy zapped her, and she fell back to the ground.

"Uh-uh," Stormy said, shaking her head. "In case you've forgotten, _we're _in charge, not _you _guys."

Despite how much he disliked Eris, despite how he'd just attacked her a few hours before, Timmy couldn't let her be a hostage. "Let her go!" he shouted.

"Really?" Icy laughed. "Who's gonna make me? Your girlfriend?" She smirked. "Last time I checked, she's buried under a portal."

Timmy wanted nothing more than to slap Icy across the face and bury her under the Morphix pulley. But then he remembered Mirta's words: _You can't just _attack_ people like that. _Lowering his fists, he stared at the ground.

"Do you want to share the same fate as her?" Icy purred. "In fact, how about all of you?"

Timmy looked around. The girls had joined him on the floor, and gasped in horror as they saw Eris tied up against the wall.

"Or, we can freeze this one." Icy had moved over to Eris. "She's not made for ice, like most pixies. She'll be dead in an hour." Her eyes glinted.

Timmy could only stare at her helplessly. _No… _He closed his eyes.

"What'll it be, nerd?" Icy laughed. "Your scrolls – or your girl? Make a choice!"

Timmy stared down. _They'll overpower us either way… _He lowered his head.

_What are we going to do?_

* * *

Mirta closed her eyes. She lay in a heap at the bottom of the rubble, completely exhausted.

_Please, someone come and free me… _That was the only way she was going to be freed now. She remembered how Griffin had freed her and Lucy from the walls, after the witches had encased them…

She'd come to them in a blinding purple light. Mirta had gasped as she'd been ejected out of the walls, pain filling her body. She saw Lucy next to her, the witch wincing as she stared up at Griffin.

"Thank you, Headmistress," she breathed. "How'd you get us out?"

"I regained control of the tower," Griffin said, her eyes narrowing. "The Trix have the power no more."

Lucy exhaled. "So are we safe?"

"Not exactly," Griffin answered. "In fact, I believe we are due for more" –

A rumble shook her words. In horror, Mirta looked up and saw that the entire tower was shaking.

"Is that the Trix?" Lucy breathed. "I thought you said they didn't have control of the tower!"

"They don't," Griffin answered through gritted teeth. "Instead, they're trying to wreak havoc. You girls had better get out of here and" –

The tower began to shake harder. Glancing next to her, Mirta saw that a hole had appeared in the wall, one that directly lead to outside. She screamed as the tower shook, and she fell towards the hole.

Then she fell out of the castle.

The terror of free-fall was indescribable. It seemed to last an eternity, the wind whipping at her as she screamed in horror. _I can't fly, I can't fly… _Panic rose in her throat.

_I'm gonna die_, she realized. _I'm not going to survive. I'm sorry. _Her eyes closed.

Then she thought she could see someone's face in her head. A brown-faced girl, with emerald green eyes and a sweet smile. One who believed in her at all cost, who believed she could get past anything.

_It'll crush her if I die!_ Mirta realized. _I have to survive! I can't let the Trix bring me down again. I have to become a fairy, because that's who I want to be, and that's _my _identity! I'm gonna rise out of here, and make her proud!_

Instantly, she felt herself suspend in midair. _What's going on? _A brilliant white light shone around her, filling her from head-to-toe. Startled, she looked down at herself.

Purple sparkles shone over her legs and chest, and then her outfit formed. A sparkling, dark orange crop-top and miniskirt appeared, with a deep navy-blue slit in the middle. Tall navy boots formed up to her knees, with orange at the heels. Long dark-blue gloves appeared on her wrists, and she stared at them in wonder.

_My… fairy-form_, she realized. _It's come at last! _In amazement, she stared at herself, completely shocked.

Then wings began to sprout from her shoulder-blades. A transparent color with a tiny dark-red border, they filled her from top-to-bottom with happiness. _I can't believe it…_

Then, just as suddenly, the bubble disappeared. Mirta felt herself free-falling again, gasping out in horror. "No!" she yelled.

"Fly!" Lucy shouted. "You can fly! Flap your wings and… fly!"

Something shone in Mirta's eyes. _I can do it… I can do it! _She fluttered her wings, unsteadily and shakily.

She whooped with joy as she flew into the air, happiness filling her as the wind brushed by her. _It's been ages since I've flown – I can't believe it! _She flew back towards Lucy.

Her friend was staring at her with a mixture of consternation and amazement. "You're a fairy," she whispered, taking in her new outfit with mixed emotions. "You're really one."

"But I'm still your friend." Mirta moved forward to hug Lucy. The girl didn't resist; if anything, she hugged her even tighter. "I'll always be your friend, Lucy."

Lucy smiled at her. "That was some pretty sick flying out there, ya know."

Mirta laughed, embracing her old friend tightly. _I'm so glad I became a fairy at last… _It had finally all worked out.

And now Mirta lay under the rocks. _The old me… _Determination filled her heart, and she bowed her head.

"I am Mirta Nakamura," she said aloud. "I have a mission, and that is to make sure I defeat the Trix. I'm not going to let Eris, or anyone else, get in my way! I am _not _a hag – I'm a fairy of Alfea! And I'm gonna win this fight!" She slammed the rock.

It splintered completely, breaking into fragments. Mirta transformed, flying out of the hole she was trapped in. _I'm gonna get there… _She flew faster.

_They're gonna regret messing with us._

* * *

"We have to let Eris go!" María cried.

The girls were staring at Timmy, who was feeling uncertain. _Something's not right here… _He lowered his head.

"How could you refuse?" Dominica cried.

"Yeah, like you all don't know why," Nova snorted.

_I have to let her go_, Timmy realized. He turned towards the witches.

Timmy lowered his head. "You win," he said quietly. "Just let Eris go."

"Not so fast, nerd." Icy walked up to Timmy. "First you show me where your spells are."

"_What_?" Amina gasped.

"You can't do that!" Yasmin shouted from her frozen prison on the alcove.

"Oh, but I _can_," Icy laughed. "And you are gonna do exactly what I say."

"All right," Jamila said, finally admitting defeat. "This way." She walked forward.

"That's a good girl," Icy grinned, following her. "Darcy and Stormy, you stay here and make sure the Alfea girls don't try any funny moves."

Darcy and Stormy grumbled, but they did as they were told. Smirking, Icy followed Jamila and Timmy as they walked down the Hall of Mirrors.

"Here it is," Jamila said, pointing to the hidden door.

Icy grinned. "The power is all mine," she said. She slammed it with an ice-blast, and it melted away easily.

Timmy stared inside. He thought he could see someone moving in the shadows, someone powerful. _Is that Concordia? _Then a blast of night energy filled the air, and he gasped as he was shoved back.

* * *

Mirta sat in the Archives, closing her eyes. _They'll be here soon…_

She had managed to get into the Archives through the tunnels. Concordia had not been happy when Mirta had appeared there, and had attempted to stun her.

"Concordia," Mirta protested, "it's just me."

"I sealed the Archives!" Concordia snarled. "You are not going to get in!"

"You know the witches can break through!" Mirta protested. "Please, Concordia, let me go in."

Finally, the Guardian Pixie relented. "Fine." She opened the door. "Come on in."

And now the lights were turned out. Mirta sat cross-legged on the floor, closing her eyes as she focused on her breath.

_Breathe in deeply… Exhale fully… Now, focus on your magic source…_

Something was stirring inside of her. Her energy was more powerful than it'd ever been before, and she marveled at how right Flora was, how meditation had made her stronger. She focused on her Whisperian nighttime power, filling the room with darkness.

She felt herself rising in the air, darkness bending at every turn. _I've got it… _She felt more in-tune with her power than ever before, more connected with all of the night…

The door pushed open, and she sensed another presence, an icy-cold blast. "The power is all mine," she heard her say.

Mirta didn't even stop to think. She let out a wave of dark energy, filling the Archives.

She opened her eyes. Icy was falling to the ground, yelling in alarm. Mirta flew towards her, her own eyes monstrous.

"Mirta!" Timmy shouted in relief. "You're here!"

"You are not taking Alfea's scrolls!" Mirta snarled, flying forward. "I, a fairy of Whisperia, refuse to let you have our power!"

"How brave," Icy sneered. "A pixie." She flew forward. "You know what I've done to you, don't you? That delightful orange color of your skirt matches your pumpkin perfectly. We can do it again. Why not?" She lifted her hands.

Mirta cried as she felt Icy's energy compressing her, pushing her to the ground. _No, not a pumpkin again… _She closed her eyes.

She could still feel it. Her body shrinking, her skin turning to cellulose and starch. Her breath coming out through her stalk, as she lay motionless and helpless on the ground –

"No!" Mirta exploded, and she turned Icy's spell out. _I won't let it get me! _She sent the spell far, far away, so it would never hurt her again.

A crash sounded near her. Opening her eyes, Mirta turned around and stared.

The other fairies were staring at her. Eris's mouth was agape as she goggled at Mirta, at a complete loss-for-words, tied up against the wall. Timmy and Nova were gazing at her with utter admiration in their eyes. Mirta turned to her left, and had the shock of her life.

Darcy and Stormy were no longer there. In their place sat two ugly, gigantic, hideously orange pumpkins. Their eyes glinted at one another angrily, and then towards Icy.

"This feels so disgusting!" one of the pumpkins shouted, in Stormy's voice. "Ice, how could you do this to us?"

"I didn't do it!" Icy snarled. "The pipsqueak did!"

"Well, undo the spell so we can bring these losers down!" Darcy snapped.

But Icy seemed to realize she was beat. She picked the two pumpkins up and glared at the girls.

"Later, losers," she snarled, in the exact same tone Eris had used before. And then she flew out the window.

"What's going on?" a voice shouted from outside.

Mirta looked over and saw Faragonda flying towards them. She glared at Icy, who was retreating into the sky.

"Out, witch!" she yelled, slamming her with a ray of light.

Icy only narrowly dodged the blast, nearly dropping the pumpkins in the process. Nova grabbed her camera and took a snapshot.

"What are you doing?" Mirta hissed.

"Exactly what I was going to ask _you_." Griselda had appeared in the doorway. "What happened to you girls? Are you all right?"

"We are, thanks to Timmy and Mirta!" Nova answered, thumping Mirta on the back. "They saved us from the Trix!"

"Mirta!" Flora ran into the hall, her eyes alarmed. "What happened? Are you all right? How did you" –

Mirta ran up to Flora, squeezing her in a tight hug. "Just so you know, I still hate meditation," she whispered. And then she leaned upward and kissed her.

She could hear gasps of shock from everyone around her. And then there was cheering. First from Nova and Timmy, then the Winx, and then Faragonda and Griselda. The other girls cheered, amazement in their eyes.

"Way to go, Mirta!" Stella shouted. "You totally kicked Icy's pumpkinized butt!"

_And now she's out of the way_, Mirta thought, _at least, for now. _She hugged Flora tightly, savoring this moment of worthiness and triumph.

* * *

Timmy sat at the laptop, typing in the same algorithm for the thousandth time, with no results. He let out a sigh, gazing at the screen.

Two weeks had passed since their defeat of the Trix. It had been the talk of Magix for days, with everyone exclaiming how brave the Alfea freshmen and sophomores were, and how amazing Timmy had been to save them. And most talked about was Flora and Mirta's budding romance, which few spoke about in anything but glowing tones.

Timmy took a second to admire the photo Nova had taken with her camera. Icy's hair was falling over, her eyes displaying a hint of terror as Faragonda's green jet of magic shot past her. She was holding two enormous pumpkins, which looked as if they were about to capsize and make her fall. The picture had made it onto the front page of the Triple M Magazine, with everyone laughing over the defeat of the Trix.

Shortly after Faragonda's speech of congratulations, Flora had approached him, congratulating him on his defeat of the Trix. She, Digit, and Chatta had spent more afternoons over at Red Fountain, trying to help hack into the laptop. Their search had been fruitless, and the four had spent many a frustrated night agonizing over what they were going to do.

But it didn't matter now, for that day in Alfea had turned his morale around completely; he was now ready to take matters into his own hands. He had found everything he needed, including his passport, UR card, a month's worth of food and clothes, and all his devices and gadgets. He was ready to find his girlfriend.

He pulled out his map of Zenith. Tracing the best entrance route to the realm, he drew on the map, marking the way to go.

"I'm gonna find her," he said aloud. "I'm gonna find her, and she's gonna be saved. And Zenith is the first location."

He knew he was going to find Tecna. She was his world; without her, he was incomplete. _I'm gonna find that Vasiliev goon, and find what he did to her. And then, I'll do whatever it takes!_

Something rose in him. Powerfully, he got up, running to the Aviation dock.

_Tecna, I'm coming for you_, he thought. His plan was in order. Holding all the documents with him, he ran to the ship, unlatching it from the dock.

He muted the alarm so no one would come running. Then he entered the ship, turning the engine on.

He could hear it whirring, gently. _Where would you like to go? _the dashboard prompted him.

_Zenith_, Timmy typed back.

_Affirmative_, the dashboard responded. The ship's wheels spun around as it raced down the track.

And then it shot into the air, the first taste of freedom.

_I'm gonna find you, Tecna_, Timmy thought. He stared back at Red Fountain, the school that had made him the man he was, but which he wouldn't return to until he found Tecna.

_I'm gonna free you from Vasiliev._

* * *

**So, what'd you think? This chapter was meant to mirror S03E20, where the pixies fight against Valtor and the Trix. It was the same idea – underserved characters saving the day – but with a twist. Mirta got her happy ending, and Timmy – well, that's soon to come.**

**See you all Wednesday!**


	32. Chapter 29: The Edge of the World

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"I still don't know what to do about Nabu." Layla sounded frustrated. "I can't be with him!"_**

**_"They're _****still ****_making you go through with that?" Mirta was shocked._**

**_Layla snorted. "Don't worry. I'm not marrying anyone, much less someone they choose for me. In fact, I'm done with boys for good."_**

**_"Really?" Stella asked, her eyebrows raised. "So how about you tell that to the cute boy who's been staring at you for the last half-hour?" She pointed to behind a bush._**

**_An Androsian man with a long braid was standing behind them, smiling awkwardly and nervously. "Er… ladies… hi," he said sheepishly._**

**_"That's _****all ****_you can say?" Layla demanded. "Do you think it's okay standing around, snooping on people's very private conversations?" She angrily stood up, storming away from the food court._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Flora!" Papá shouted. "Have you seen the news?"_**

**_"No," Flora said, instantly on alert. Her father sounded frantic, which was very unusual – he was always playful and good-humored._**

**_"Check it!" her father cried._**

**_Heart pounding, Flora turned on the Magix Modern Matrix. She stopped straight as soon as she saw the screen._**

**_BREAKING NEWS: LINPHEA DECLARES WAR ON ZENITH._**

**_"No!" Flora cried out. "I can't believe this – no!"_**

**_"It's been a terrible shock," her father continued. "The village gathered last night for a vigil, and Mamá led a prayer-session. I wanted to make sure you're okay, Flora."_**

**So it's official, then****_, Flora thought. _****This war may not end for years… decades, even… She closed her eyes. My sister will have to grow up in a country torn with war… I'm so sorry, Miele…**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"He has it," Bloom said quietly. "He's won a major battle. Now he's unstoppable."_**

**_"_****_You're wrong, Bloom," Stella said. "He may have taken the box, but he hasn't taken our spirits."_**

**_Mirta let out a sigh. "Let's call Faragonda. I don't know how we're going to explain this, though."_**

**_"Maybe we should let Ophir do the explaining, because it _****was ****_his fault the box disappeared," Musa said._**

**_"Where _****is ****_he?" Stella asked, staring around. There was no one else in sight._**

**_"He took off!" Layla cried. "I knew there was something wrong with that guy. I _****knew ****_it!"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 29: THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

"No force can exist without an opposite. This is true of all of us, and is no less true to the Dragon Fire. When the Great Dragon created the universe, it was not without resistance.

"In fact, four elements created the universe: the Fire Dragon, Earth Griffin, Air Angel, and the Water Serpent. All four of them worked in combination. First the Great Griffin, who spread her body and created the planets on which we stand on. Then came the Great Serpent, who churned water in her veins and made them flow gracefully into the world. Thirdly was the Great Dragon, who used his fire-breathing strength to give warmth to the planets, which resides in the magma chambers of every planet. And lastly was the Great Angel, who brought breath to the world so there could eventually be life."

Flora was very familiar with this creation story. In fact, it was the cornerstone of mythology in the four original planets of the Magical Dimension: Summa, Linphea, and Domino. The other one was Earth, but since the Earth fairies had disappeared centuries ago, this story was never embraced by humans.

"So, does this mean one of these elements is the opposite of the Dragon Fire?"

"Yes," Faragonda answered. "And I think you know which one."

"The Water Stars." This time it was Layla who spoke.

"So, how do we get our hands on some?" Bloom asked.

Faragonda let out a sigh, gazing at the girls.

"In its tangible form, it exists far, far away," she said. "After Creation, the four elements split up into different quadrants of the universe. Therefore, there are four different dimensions in the Universe. The Magical Dimension, which we live in, is the dimension where the Dragon Fire is dominant."

"So there are _three _other dimensions out there?" Musa gasped.

"Correct," Faragonda nodded. "These dimensions hold the key to your success."

_Okay, I didn't know _that, thought Flora, staring. The belief in Linphea was that the other four elements had died out, and that only Fire was left standing.

"Okay," said Stella. "So we go to this watery dimension or whatever, and get some of that serpenty stuff, right?"

"No." Faragonda frowned.

"But you said it was in that dimension!" Stella gasped.

_How are we supposed to get this? _thought Flora. This was starting to look close-to-impossible.

"You do not yet have the skill to travel to a new dimension," Faragonda clarified. "Since different dimensions have different states of existence, it is very difficult to adjust your body to a new world. You _can_, however, visit the Shrine of the Serpent."

"Where do we go?" Bloom was instantly on her feet.

"Settle down, Bloom," Faragonda commanded. "The Shrine is at the Edge of the Dimension, the place where the Dragon Fire gives way to Water Stars, in a realm called Neró. In order to get into the Shrine, though, it will take your strongest Enchantix abilities."

Immediately, a babble of noise broke out.

"What kind of power?"

"How is this supposed to work?"

"Quiet!" Faragonda ordered, and the girls immediately silenced themselves. "I cannot tell you any more, except to give you the coordinates to the Shrine. Other than that, you and the boys are on your own. I myself have never visited the Shrine, so I do not know what'll happen to you five."

"So we're going there _now_?" Flora asked in disbelief.

"No, a few years from now, after Valtor takes over the Magical Dimension," Bloom said sarcastically.

"Bloom," Faragonda silenced the Earth-raised fairy with a look. "Flora, what is your concern?"

"Vasiliev," Flora answered, staring at the ground. "We're doing nothing to stop him."

She still couldn't forget what Vasiliev had told her. How he was making some kind of weapon that would hurt her people. _What are we going to do? How are we going to stop him?_

"Flora, I relayed the information about Vasiliev to Queen Isabel," Faragonda answered. "Other than that, there is nothing you can do. The conflict between Linphea and Zenith is even older than Valtor himself."

"But we could have a crisis on our hands!" Flora cried. "Why don't we do something now, _before _the crisis happens?"

"We already _have _a crisis," Faragonda answered, "and that is Valtor. First we'll focus on taking him down, _then _we'll worry about Vasiliev. With the Agador Box in his possession, Valtor is infinitely more dangerous than Vasiliev could ever hope to be."

"But my realm's in danger," Flora protested weakly.

"Believe me, Flora, I know what it feels like when your realm's under siege." Layla put her hand on Flora's shoulder. "But we can only focus on one thing at a time. First we'll take down Valtor, and _then _we'll save Linphea."

And Flora could do nothing to refute her friend's point. _She's right… _She stared up as Faragonda continued speaking, her voice a low echo.

"This is a high-level mission, girls. I want you to seek as much caution as you possibly can, but I also want you to get the Water Stars. Valtor is getting to the point where he is unstoppable. I also believe you are the only five people in the entire Magical Dimension who can do anything to stop him."

_That's terrifying_, thought Flora. Here was a man who was trying to take over the _world_. _If even the UR is powerless, what will _we _do?_

"I will contact Headmaster Saladin and request a transport," Faragonda continued. "Get ready. It's going to be a long trip."

* * *

The next day, the five Winx girls were aboard the ship, as well as Sky, Brandon, and Riven. Their faces looked unusually grave as they gazed at the girls.

"What's going on?" Mirta asked, who had come to see them off.

"You haven't heard the news?" Brandon asked. The girls shook their heads.

Sky took in a deep breath. "Timmy's gone."

"_What_?" all the girls gasped in unison.

"He left a note on his nightstand," Brandon said. "I found it in the morning. It said, 'I will not return until I find Tecna.'"

"So he's gone out on a wild pixie-chase to find her?" Layla asked incredulously.

"He's always believed she was still alive." Riven's arms were crossed, and he was glaring at the floor. "I tried telling him many times, but he just wouldn't listen."

_He's gone? _An ache rose in Flora's chest. _Why didn't he tell me? _Feelings of hurt, sadness, and confusion rose inside of her as she stared at the ground.

Why hadn't Timmy told her that he was going? Of course, she knew she probably deserved it, considering that she hadn't told _him _that she was going to Zenith, but she'd thought that they were in this together. That as soon as something was discovered, they'd both share it with each other.

"Wait, there was more," Sky said. "Flora, this is for you."

_What? _Flora thought in confusion. She stared as Sky pulled out the laptop which she'd entrusted with Timmy, thrusting it towards her.

"That's the laptop!" Musa gasped. "Why in Symphonia's name did Timmy have it?"

"I gave it to him," Flora responded. She was well aware of her friends' dismayed faces as she recanted them the tale. "I thought he'd be able to crack it open."

"How could you give it to him, when he's in such a fragile state?" Bloom demanded. "_Really_, Flora! How could you" –

"Hey!" Layla said sharply. "Guys, this isn't Flora's fault, okay? She was only trying to do what she thought was best. She couldn't have expected Timmy to do this!"

There was a silence. Flora stared at Layla, offering her a weak smile. "Thanks." Bloom looked apologetic, too.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really didn't mean to come across that way. Look – you should probably give it to Mirta. She'll take care of it."

"Okay," Flora said, handing the laptop to her girlfriend. "Wait – what's that?" She pulled a sticky note off the surface, staring at what was written on top.

_Flora –_

_I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about this earlier, but I couldn't chance it getting out. Please, continue to search. In the event that I never get back from Zenith, make sure you crack what's inside. Tecna's fate is in your hands now._

_~ Timmy_

Flora shuddered, pocketing the note. _I hope he's wrong… _But no matter how many times she forced the idea out of her mind, she knew he was right. She knew that, at the end of it all, the fate of the world was in their hands alone.

* * *

The ship flew out of Magix's atmosphere and into the dark. "It's gonna be ten hours from here," Riven said, steering the ship around an asteroid belt.

_Ten hours… _thought Flora, staring. To make matters worse, there would be no other planets on their way. In other words, if they went the wrong direction, there would be no place to land; they would be lost forever.

"Well, we've handled far worse," Stella said cheerfully. "We're the Winx, after all. And now we're travelling in style! Right, Flora?" She nudged the nature-fairy.

Flora smiled. After yesterday's discussion, Stella had bought Flora a custom-ordered outfit to match the other girls' suits for their trip to Solaria. Flora now had a black suit with a pink stripe, as well as a matching biker helmet. _It feels good to be back… though I wish Tecna had one… _Grief came to her, as always, and she lowered her head.

"Ten hours," said Musa, letting out a yawn. "Anyone want music?"

"I think we're all too tired for that," Bloom responded, picking up her sleeping-bag.

"Get some rest," Sky advised. "It's gonna be a long time before we get anywhere."

The girls unrolled their sleeping-bags and lay down, as did Sky and Brandon. Riven stayed at the helm. Sky, Brandon, Riven, and Layla would take turns watching over the system while the rest of them slept. One by one, the boys and the other girls fell asleep.

But not Flora. She was awake, her eyes half-closed as she lay uncomfortably on the ship's floor.

The war was still going on, and it certainly wasn't turning for the better. So far, Zenithian forces had been unable to get to the City of Trees, but it was only a matter of time. And once they did, they would be unstoppable.

Flora had pleaded with her mother to leave Linphea and join her at Alfea.

"The forces are near our village," she said. "They'll find you soon and take over. And when that happens, the consequences will be unthinkable."

"We cannot leave here," her mother answered. "We are Linpheans by blood, Flora, and we will not leave what is ours. We defeated Zenith once, and we will again. All we can do is use our powers to defend our realm."

"At least send Miele here!" Flora pleaded. "Send her here so she won't have to grow up in war!"

"We've tried, Flora," her mother answered. "There was just no secure way to send her out. Commercial spacecrafts stopped flying here the moment Zenith declared war. And we don't have enough money to pay the smugglers to take her out, and even if we did, who knows how they'd treat Miele" –

"My friends and I will fly a Red Fountain spacecraft over and save her!" Flora cried. "We'll do it!"

"It's too dangerous," her mother said firmly. "There's a blockade all over the realm. And even if there wasn't, Zenithian forces would never let you through. I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

"Please promise me you'll keep Miele safe, Mamá," Flora cried.

"With my life, Flora," her mother said solemnly; she seemed to be blinking back tears. "Your Papá, Abuela, Bisabuela, and I would die before anything happened to her. I'm afraid this may be the last time we speak for decades. Please, promise me you'll keep safe."

"I will, Mamá," Flora said, tears pouring down her cheeks.

Then Mamá handed the phone to Miele, Papá, Abuela, and Bisabuela, who'd finally agreed to move in with their family. They exchanged tearful goodbyes for as long as they could, until the phone cut off.

And now Flora stared at the ceiling, wondering whether she'd ever see her family alive. There was simply no way to get back home.

No one would listen to her. Her parents didn't believe she could do anything, and neither did Faragonda. _They won't let me save my own realm from danger…_

She just couldn't shake the feeling that the Valtor and Vasiliev problem were both related. Although Faragonda wanted to deal with them separately, somehow, she knew they weren't unrelated. _And they're doing nothing to save Linphea. _She sighed.

_Please, please make it out of the war alive_, she thought. _Please defeat Zenith and Valtor and save the Magical Dimension from falling apart. _But she knew it was wishful thinking. Her eyelids drooped, and, tired out from thinking about the war, she fell asleep.

She didn't know for how long she tossed and turned that night, and how long she actually slept. All she knew was that she was awoken suddenly, by a girl's voice, shouting, "Put your hands where I can see them!"

It was Layla's voice. Flora woke with a start, her head jerking up. Sky, Brandon, and Riven woke immediately as well.

"Aren't you going to say the magic word?" the man drawled.

"Do it, or I'll blast you into the Water Star dimension!" Layla snarled.

By now, Bloom and Musa were on their feet. Sky immediately got up and ran towards the shouting.

"I was looking for 'please', but that'll do," the man said lazily.

Flora got up and peered around the bend. Layla was focusing her energy on the air around her. "Gahh!" she shouted in frustration. "No water-molecules!"

"Yes, without them, you can't use your Morphix to handcuff me," the man said cheerfully. "Quite a shame, isn't it?"

"There's no shortage of handcuffs around here." Sky glared at him, and turned around. "Musa, get some shackles from the cabinet. Those'll prevent him from using his magic."

Musa grabbed the shackles and handcuffed the man. "Follow me," she ordered. The man stepped out of the shadows, towards the girls, and Flora gasped in horror.

It was the same man who'd been with them in the Magix Museum.

"What's going on?" Stella had finally stirred awake. "Interrupting my beauty sleep? I bet I'm gonna have a wrinkle in my face! This is so – why'd you bring the hot guy with us?" She stared at Ophir.

"I _didn't_!" Layla said, sounding enraged. "He's a stowaway!"

"I can explain," Ophir protested.

"You'd better," Bloom snapped.

"And fast," Musa added.

"I've always wanted to see Neró," Ophir said. "It's the closest thing to seeing the Water Star Dimension, you know. But it's not exactly a tourist destination. So I hitched a ride with you guys just as you were taking off" –

"Well, how did _you _know _we _were going there?" Stella had her nose in the air.

"I-I heard you guys talking about it," Ophir stammered.

"He's lying," Musa said immediately.

"I don't know," Flora frowned. There was something sincere about his tone. "Are you sure?"

Bloom looked at her in disbelief. "Flora, are you're forgetting it's _his _fault Valtor got away with the Ancestress' Box?"

"I have to agree with them on this one, Flora," Layla said. "This one's got written 'spy' all over him."

"Yeah, whatever," Stella said with a yawn. "Can you guys decide what to do with Hot Boy so I can get back to sleep?"

"I'm taking him to the Brig," Layla answered.

"You do that," Sky nodded. "Stella, nine hours have passed, so we're going to be landing soon. You won't have much time for sleep."

"Ugh!" Stella plopped down on her pillow. "It felt like no time at all, what with this hard floor and _sleeping-bag_" –

"Aw, poor princess of Solaria," Musa teased.

"Hey," Stella protested, "it was bad enough at the Resort Realm, but this is another thing altogether" –

"Hey guys, check it out!" Bloom was staring out the ship's windows. Flora rose, followed her to the glass pane, and gasped.

They were flying amid thousands of stars and comets. There was something beautiful about the colorful stars ahead of them, something out-of-this-world. _It looks like a remote world… _She wished she could send Mirta a picture, but there was no Web connection, and in any case she'd forgotten her camera.

"Uh-oh!" Riven suddenly shouted, staring at the dashboard. "We're in trouble!"

"What?" Bloom was at his side.

"According to my screen, there's nothing ahead of us," Riven said grimly. "I wouldn't even call it empty space. There's some kind of giant void that won't give me any signal!"

"What are you talking about?" Stella demanded. "There're stars right ahead of us!"

"Those aren't what he's worried about." Sky had joined the two of them. "The danger is ahead."

"So what does that mean?" Musa wanted to know.

"In three minutes and twelve seconds, we're gonna fly right off the edge of the world!"

Everyone gasped. Flora stared at Riven in horror, her mind whirling.

"What does that even _mean_?" Bloom demanded.

"No one knows," Riven said in a hushed voice. "People have flown off the edge of the world, and they've never come back. There's some kind of void there that just… _deletes _people."

"Stop the ship!" Layla demanded. "Turn the engine off!"

"The engine _is _off," Riven answered. "It's been off for the past eight hours. Since there's no friction in space, the ship will keep going in a constant velocity until it reaches" –

"We don't need the big sciency explanation!" Musa snapped. "Just turn around!"

"By the time we turn around, we'll already have hit the void!" Riven shouted.

"Try it!" Stella begged. "I'm too young and pretty to die!"

"I can help." Ophir was back, frowning at them.

"You again!" Musa snarled.

"I thought I locked you in the Brig!" Layla added.

"We're headed in the correct direction," Ophir said. "We won't hit the void. Everything's fine."

"Are you insane?" Musa yelled at him.

"No, I'm not," Ophir said patiently. "Not if you set the right coordinates, that is. You see, if we're going the right direction, we should be heading to a small hole in the void that'll take us to the Serpent Realm."

"How do we trust him?" Layla demanded. "He broke out of the Brig! He's working for Valtor!"

"You didn't even lock the Brig," Ophir said, gesturing to his handcuffs. "It's not 'breaking out' if you didn't even secure it in the first place."

"You"… Layla snarled at him.

"I have no motive to lie to you," Ophir continued. "You could turn the ship around, but we've already established we'll crash into oblivion before that happens. I don't want to die any more than you do, so believe me when I say I'm not lying. I want to reach the Shrine just as much as you do."

And Flora saw the validity of his point. _I think he's right… _She took in a long, deep breath.

"I think we should do as he says," she said.

"Fine." Riven glared at Ophir, his eyes narrowed. "Only because we have no other choice." He stared nervously ahead of them.

Flora grabbed Bloom's hand. The two squeezed each other's hands tightly, staring at the dashboard. Then it was two minutes… then one minute… then thirty seconds…

_10, 9, 8…_

The stars were long gone. All that existed in front of them was pure black space, blacker than anything they'd seen.

_7, 6…_

Stella pulled Brandon tightly to her, devouring his mouth with her own lips. An intense public display of affection, even for her. Flora would've laughed, had the situation not been so terrifying.

_5, 4…_

Bloom grabbed Sky by the waist tightly. Musa did the same with Riven, too.

_3…_

_I love you, Mirta_, Flora thought, squeezing her eyes tight. _I hope you remember me. I hope you live a happy life…_

_2…_

_Mamá, Papá, little Miele, Abuela, Bisabuela… I love you, too…_

_1…_

_Tecna was disappearing into the portal. Electricity zapped her in the heart, stopping her breath. Then she was falling, falling, falling, the stones devouring her until she was no more…_

Nothing. Not even the sound of the ship hitting a brick wall.

_Are we dead? _Flora thought, feeling woozy. _Is this what death feels like?_

She was afraid to even move. For all she knew, they were trapped in some obsidian realm, with nowhere and nothing to turn to. _But I have to see what's going on… _She opened her eyes, and gasped. They were still on the ship, standing together.

And that wasn't all. Below her was the most beautiful land, one Flora could never, in her wildest dreams, have imagined seeing.

The land below them was entirely blue. Blue mountain peaks jutted in the air, forming a circle. In the center was a radiant blue pool that reflected the stars. _It's so beautiful…_

Bloom opened her eyes and gasped. Musa hugged Layla tightly. Stella looked up from Brandon's shoulder and let out a whoop of joy.

"We're alive!" she shouted.

And then there was cheering. Relief that they had made it through another hurdle together, that no matter what, they would prevail. _We made it… now all we need to do is find the Water Stars… _Musa pointed downwards.

"Look!" she shouted. "There's the shrine!"

And there it was. Floating atop the lake, it gleamed the same blue color as the rest of the planet.

"I don't get it," Layla said quietly, staring at Ophir. "How'd you know we weren't going to die?"

"I read a lot," Ophir answered. "I did my senior thesis-paper on Neró at the Andros Academy of Aviation. In fact, I just graduated in the Class of 1011."

"That was my old school!" Layla gasped, momentarily forgetting her irritation with him. "I started there in the pre-college division. I was going to go to college there, too, but then I ended up at Alfea. They have some great programs there."

"They do." Ophir smiled. "I took the Wave-Manipulation class all six years of school. It was amazing."

"Oh, no one can do it better than me." Layla flexed her arms. "I could surf with my eyes closed."

Next to Flora, Stella nudged Bloom. "Umm… total crush-alert!"

Flora smiled. _I'm glad Ophir wasn't one of the bad guys… _She'd been right to trust him.

"I hate to break up this boyfriend-girlfriend moment," Riven's voice cut through the air, "but we have a problem. Where're we gonna land?"

"There's land right there." Layla pointed to below them. "We can then fly over the lake and get to the shrine."

"_You _can," Riven said grumpily. "What about the rest of us?"

"Hey, we've got our flying-saucers with us," Sky pointed out. "We'll just follow behind. We won't be as fast, but we'll make it."

"Well, _I'll _be just as fast as them, if not faster," Ophir said. "In fact, I think Layla and I have a surfing competition ahead of us."

Layla grinned. "You're on!"

The ship landed, and everyone grabbed his or her bags. When they were all out, Riven locked the ship.

"Let's go," he said.

"Woo-hoo!" Layla and Ophir shouted as they skirted the waves, laughing as they surfed their way towards the shrine. Manipulating the water to push them along, they playfully splashed one another.

"Who do you think's gonna win?" Bloom asked as they flew above, enjoying the moment to watch their friends.

"Sorry, but Layla's got a hunk of a guy to compete against," Stella laughed.

"He definitely can't beat my girl Layla," Musa declared. "She's _so _gonna whup him into shape!"

Flora watched the two compete against one another. Neck-and-neck they were, surfing on their Morphix boards and pushing through the waves. They splashed one another, pushing the other back. Layla yelled as Ophir pushed her back, stopping her motion.

"Layla! Come on!" Musa shouted.

They were reaching the shrine. From ahead, Ophir was waving at her, grinning.

Layla just smiled demurely. Ophir reached the front, ready to land on the island. Then, without warning, a giant wave knocked him off his feet, and Layla glided onto the ground near the shrine.

"Layla!" the girls cheered, flying down to meet her.

Ophir was panting as he pulled himself out of the water. "You've gotta teach me that trick," he said.

"Sure," Layla said smugly. "I _did_ warn you no one's better than me."

"Hey, look at that!" Bloom had landed at the shrine, and was now staring down.

A door was at the base of the shrine, but it was extremely small. _Almost as if we should… _She stared down, taken aback.

"What does it say?" Musa asked.

Flora could make out the script - ancient Magixian writing. _Good thing I studied it for my endangered language requirement… _She read it out loud.

"'Only those of pure heart and unwavering resilience may enter.'"

There was a silence. Then Stella voiced what everyone was thinking. "What in Solaria does that mean?"

"Faragonda said it would take a strong Enchantix spell for any fairy to get in," Bloom said. "I think that's it."

"_What_?" Stella groaned. "But how are we supposed to do _that_?"

"Maybe we could try convergence?" Layla asked. "We're pretty good with that."

"'Pure heart,'" Musa muttered, thoughtfully. "In order to get in, I think we need to cast some kind of spell that's… pure."

"We also need to have pure intentions," Bloom added. "Which we do… at least, I think."

"I got it!" Stella gasped. "Maybe we should converge our fairy dust! It's the purest substance in the universe, so it's probably the only thing that'll work!"

"That's actually not a bad idea, Stell!" Layla sounded impressed.

"Everyone, let's link hands," said Bloom, "and converge our fairy-dust."

The five girls formed together in a circle. Flora had fleeting thoughts of Tecna, and how many times they'd converged with her. _She should be here… _She closed her eyes and reached into her heart, summoning her fairy-dust.

The pink, flower-shaped vial moved forward, and the lid opened. Inside was sparkling green dust, with the scent of honey and aloe vera. Flora smiled and turned around the vial, so it showered over the door.

She could smell the aromas of her friends' fairy-dust. Musa's was a rich scent, vibrant with the spices of Melody, Layla's was the scent of coconut and sea-breeze, and Stella's was the scent of desert jasmine. But something was missing. _I wonder what Tecna's fairy-dust would smell like…_

The door slid open; she opened her eyes to see a white portal in the entrance. Flora gasped, and the others cheered.

"We're through!" yelled Stella.

"What are you talking about?" Bloom demanded. "I don't see anything!"

"What are _you _talking about?" Layla asked in confusion.

Bloom walked up to the portal. But instead of going through, she stopped at a sudden wall. Bewildered, she turned around to her friends.

It was then Flora realized Bloom's fairy-dust hadn't had any smell.

"It didn't work, because my Enchantix's incomplete," Bloom realized. "I can't get in through the portal. I'm sorry, guys."

"Don't be sorry, Bloom!" Stella put a hand on her shoulder. "You've got the 'pure heart' part, all right; it's just the 'unwavering resilience' that might be lacking."

"What she's trying to say," Layla added, "is that we've got your back, Bloom."

Bloom smiled. "Thanks, guys," she said. "Now go and get those Water Stars!"

Flora followed her friends into the milky expanse. _I hope we get through…_

She gasped as the world around her turned white, and weightlessness filled her body. Then everything went black.

* * *

**That was an intense chapter. We see the hint of Layla x Ophir coming in, which is pretty cool. Of course, next cycle is the famous Crystal Labyrinth, one of the most memorable parts of Season 3. It's going to definitely get more and more intense from here.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Tecna reminisces on an experience in the Resort Realm.**

**\- Cyros reveals the existence of a special location in Omega.**

**See you soon!**


	33. Chapter 30: The Gatekeepers' Library

**I forgot to upload this chapter on Saturday! So sorry about that, everyone!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"Timmy gets on my nerves," Tecna admitted. "Every time we meet, we only talk about computers. It's aggravating, and I don't know why" –_**

**_"I get it," Flora said. "You want him to speak to you like a girlfriend, not like a robot."_**

**_Tecna stared at Flora. "What? I don't think of him like"… She sighed. "Okay, I suppose I do."_**

**_"Of course you do," Flora said. "You're perfect for one another."_**

**_"But I can't have a boyfriend!" Tecna cried out. "The only reason my parents let me come to Alfea is because it's a girls' college. It's not proper, Flora, to _****date ****_anyone!"_**

**_"What do you mean?" Flora stared at her in confusion._**

**_"Zenithians don't date," Tecna answered. "Our parents choose who we are to marry. We don't fall in love."_**

**_"Have you ever thought you might be projecting your own nervousness onto Timmy?"_**

**_"That's absurd!" Tecna gasped. "I'm not nervous!"_**

**_"Then what's stopping you from asking Timmy out?" Flora asked._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Remind me again _****why ****_we're here, if this place was cleaned out centuries ago?" one of his men complained._**

**_"The Gatekeepers used to live here," the head man answered. "If we can find some spells in here, we can bust outta this place."_**

**_"We haven't found anything yet," another man complained._**

**_"Shut up!" he yelled. "Do you have any idea how hard our ancestors labored? As soldiers of the Fifth Dimensional War, they fought fiercely, only to be shoved into this rat-hole. And we're not going to let their legacy ruin us! No, we're gonna get outta here and make a _****real****_ life for ourselves!"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 30: THE GATEKEEPERS' LIBRARY

"Hey, Tecna," Cyros said, handing Tecna a bowl of fish soup. The technology-fairy smiled gratefully, pouring it into her mouth instead of using a spoon. Something that would've been unthinkable in the past, but which was the case no more.

A few weeks had passed. Or something like that – Tecna had lost track of time since she'd landed in Omega. The two of them had become extremely close, foraging for food together, playing together, and telling stories. Each was a comfort to the other, as each knew the other was his or her only hope.

And yet, there was something missing. They never talked about their old lives, the time before they met one another. The pain of losing her friends, teachers, family, and boyfriend were all on her, and there was no one with whom to share her burden.

"What's up, _Sestra_?" Cyros asked. "You seem sad today."

"I'm okay, Cyros," she said distractedly. "Just remembering my past life."

"I don't like remembering," Cyros said, staring at the ground. "It makes me feel sad. Instead, I play ball." He jumped up and threw his ball against the walls, laughing as he chased it around. He'd found the abandoned ball one day, while they'd been searching for food – a sign of the Gatekeepers' civilization that existed no more.

Tecna sighed. Cyros was just a kid – a twelve-year-old boy. He was very forgiving, and playful, too. She couldn't remember a time in the past year when she'd been this playful.

In fact, she couldn't remember _any _time in her life when she'd been anything but uptight. From the moment she was born, everything was just about work. And until Omega, that was how it was going to be for the rest of her life.

_But maybe I can change things now. I have a new mission, a new friend. Even if it means I forget all my old ones. _She sighed, closing her eyes.

Sometimes it was very hard to have faith in herself – or in Cyros, for that matter. Although he was sweet and fun, he had zero sense of responsibility, which irritated Tecna. And he was reckless and foolish, which made her sigh with exasperation every time she had to tell him to settle down.

In a way, he wasn't unlike Timmy at all. Tecna sighed, thinking back to last year, when they'd sprung their traps for the witches in the Resort Realm…

While Bloom and the pixies went to search for Layla, the rest of the group worked together to plan the trap. The boys cut wood to make some sort of hut, which Tecna had no idea what it was for.

"Are you sure we should cut notches in the middle of every roof beam?" Sky asked, frowning at Timmy.

"Positive," Timmy grinned. "We want this roof to be totally collapsible."

_No we don't_, thought Tecna, growling. This was a stupid idea; what use did a collapsible hut have? While he'd been outlining the plan, she'd taken the time to calculate the dimensions of the hut, and at exactly what dimensions to create the hut – all for nothing. Timmy had shut her down, and the others had backed him. Now she had nothing to do but her assigned role.

Jared tied a rope to one side of the grove and kept the other end loose, right next to his hiding spot. Musa and Stella used their Charmixes to levitate the rocks to dam the river. Tecna, meanwhile, grudgingly worked on tying the nets with Flora and Mirta.

"These knots are so frustrating," Flora complained. "If only I had my Charmix – I could do this so much faster."

"I agree," Tecna said, wishing she could summon her technological energy. "This is completely inefficient."

"Don't worry, you both," Mirta said. "You'll get your Charmixes when the time is right. I truly believe that. I got my fairy transformation when the time was right, so I have no doubt that'll happen with you."

"I just hope it's soon," Tecna muttered.

She still had no idea why she was so angry with Timmy. She just couldn't stand how he didn't use his brain to his full potential, how emotionally unintelligent he was. All she knew was that she wanted this done with. _Make the Trix show up and get over it._

"They're coming!" Musa called, flying towards them.

Tecna looked up. The boys were rushing to dig the trench, and were panting in worry. "Quick!" she shouted. "They're almost here!"

And they were. Tecna saw the Trix, mounted on their dragons and glaring at them, ready to attack.

WITCHES APPROACHING, her sensors bleeped. OBSCURIAN DRAGONS. HIGHLY DANGEROUS.

"In position!" Timmy yelled, grabbing Tecna's hand. An odd blush came over her face, but she forced herself to hide it as he pulled her onto the hut.

Jared and Sky hid in the bushes. Flora, Mirta, Musa, and Stella stood on the rocks in the trench, glaring defiantly at the Trix. Musa and Stella transformed into their Charmixes immediately.

Musa focused on the rocks they'd used to block the river. "Sonar wave!" she shouted, shifting them. Hungry for release, the water zoomed forward, straight at the Trix's path.

The witches yelled as they were pushed off their dragons by the virulent force of water. Gasping, they pulled themselves out, panting as they sat on the river-bank.

"Ha!" the girls cheered together, jumping up and down.

But the Trix weren't done yet. They got their dragons back under control and were zooming towards them, their faces grim. Timmy jumped off the hut immediately.

"Hey witches!" he shouted, waving his hands up and down.

"Timmy!" Tecna called after him, her heart racing. "What do you think you're doing? Timmy!"

But the orange-haired Specialist wasn't paying any attention. He ran in the opposite direction of the hut, which was the exact opposite of what they wanted. _What's he doing… why's he intentionally messing this up?_

"Come on," Icy hissed to her sisters, "and let's go trample that play fort."

_Please come here_, Tecna prayed. _Please please please. Don't follow Timmy._

"Yeah, but check it out," Stormy said, pointing to Timmy. "We can't pass up a nerd run."

"You're right," Icy agreed. To Tecna's horror, the witches turned their dragons towards Timmy, zooming towards the orange-haired boy.

She watched as Timmy swerved to the left and right, agile on his feet. The Trix's dragons, menacing though they were, were unable to turn so quickly. _That's quite clever… _Though she knew it was only a matter of time before they caught up with him.

"Be careful!" she cried out.

"Nothing to worry about," Timmy panted cheerfully, "as long as Sky's on the job. Although"… he frowned nervously… "where _is _Sky?"

"Right here!" Sky zoomed down on his flying saucer, sword in his hand. "Witches, shall we dance?"

"No!" Stormy yelled, shooting a lightning-volt at him.

But the blond-haired warrior easily dodged the blow. Laughing, he flew alarmingly close to Stormy, narrowly missing her head with his sword and slamming her dragon. "They're all yours," he shouted at Timmy, who was now running back towards the hut.

"Wait up, Darcy!" Stormy yelled, flying towards her sister and sitting on her dragon. They advanced towards the ginger-haired Specialist, snapping and snarling.

"Witches! Yoo-hoo!" Timmy cheered, zigzagging and laughing. "Can't catch a little nerd like me?"

"What are you _doing_?" Tecna cried out. She wanted to fly out, to slap him in the face and shove some sense into him. But for one, she didn't have her Charmix, and for another, she was petrified with fear.

"Jared!" Timmy shouted, running past his tree.

Jared pulled the rope, holding it taut. Darcy's dragon tripped on it, and she and Stormy flew off their dragons. While they were down, Jared released the net, which flew immediately towards the two, binding them together. Every knot, every stich tied so precisely, kept the two witches down.

And now Tecna saw the genius of Timmy's plan. With a few cleverly-laid traps, he'd provoked the witches, incensing them into lowering their own guard. Now Darcy and Stormy were trapped in their own stupidity, their failure to stay focused on their mission.

"Sweet!" Jared grinned.

"ARGHHH!" Darcy slammed the net with her dark energy, tearing it apart. All of Flora and Tecna's hard work now lay in ruins as they flew out, cackling.

Jared frowned. "Not sweet."

"You two are pathetic," Icy snarled at her sisters. "It's my turn." Steering her dragon, they ran towards the hut. The five girls gasped in alarm.

"Big brute!" Icy hollered at the dragon. "Take care of that pesky little nerd boy for me!"

"No!" Tecna cried.

"Just get out of the way, girls!" Timmy grinned. "Trust me."

Tecna had no choice. Heart hammering, she watched as Timmy easily leapt onto the roof. In the split-second it took for Icy's dragon to jump into the roof, he dived out of the way.

Tecna watched as the roof collapsed, and Icy fell into the hut.

"They're going in!" Flora squealed.

And they were. Timmy, Brandon, Jared, and Sky dove into the hut.

"So, who's the dork _now_, Icy?" Tecna heard Timmy say.

Next to her, Flora, Stella, Mirta, and Musa giggled. Tecna wanted to snap at them, for she knew the boys weren't out of the clear yet. _If only we could go in and help them… _But Musa and Stella's powers were drained badly, and they didn't have the combat skills to fight the witches.

"Where's Bloom?" Icy's demanded.

"Tell us what you want with her!" Sky snarled.

"Here in the Resort Realm, your powers are weaker," Brandon added. "You can't fight us with direct magic. That's why you had to use those dragons." His eyes flashed. "Surrender!"

"Why would I do that?" Icy smirked. Tecna saw Darcy and Stormy fly into the hut. "This isn't over."

"But it's gonna be soon!" Timmy shouted.

"That's right, and _you're _gonna be the losers!" Icy laughed.

With a sinking feeling, Tecna knew Icy was right. _They're gonna die, and there's nothing we can do about it…_

"Tecna!"

The girl blinked. Cyros was waving her bowl at her. "Want some more?"

"No," Tecna muttered. "I'm okay."

"You don't look okay," Cyros answered. "Wanna play ball with me?"

Tecna sighed. "No, Cyros."

"You never wanna play," Cyros pouted. "You're always worried about stuff."

"Cyros, the world was in danger before I ended up here," Tecna answered, "and it still is. How happy do you think I can be, just sitting around here and waiting for things to happen?"

"What kinda trouble's goin' on?" Cyros asked.

Tecna sighed. _How do I explain this to him? _Although Cyros was young, he'd been born in a much different time than Tecna, and had no clue about the Dominian Wars. _I'll give him the simplified version, then – as simple as can be._

"There's a villain on the loose," she said. "He's been attacking my friends and hurting them. It's because of _him _I was blasted here. And now they're in danger."

"Why can't they just come here and get you?" Cyros asked lazily.

"They think I'm _dead_," Tecna ground her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see, Cyros? How can I just sit around here while he hurts my friends?"

"Well, there _is _something you can do," Cyros answered.

"What is it?" Tecna asked, warily. _Please, don't tell me to play ball…_

"We could go to Gatekeepers' Library."

Tecna sat up. "Are you kidding me?" She stared at him. "There's a _library _here? And you didn't mention this before?"

"Master Ying used to go there all the time," Cyros answered. "I wanted to go with him, but he told me I was too little. He said I'd get to go when the time was right."

"Well, the time had better be right now," Tecna declared, standing up. "Lead the way."

"Yeah," Cyros grinned. "I always wanted to see what was inside! I bet there's a ton of balls there"…

_Does this kid not know the definition of a library? _"First let's get there, _then _we'll worry about balls," she sighed.

"Okay, _Sestra_!" Cyros laughed. He zoomed ahead, Tecna panting hard as she tried to keep up.

* * *

"This's weird," Cyros frowned.

They'd been walking around for an hour, and they still hadn't found anything. In fact, it seemed as if they were walking in circles.

"We definitely walked past this iceberg before," Tecna declared.

"I forget," Cyros scowled. "Master Ying told me where it was. I know we have to do something, but I forget what it is."

"Well, you'd better un-forget real quick, because I'm losing patience," Tecna snapped at him. "If your memory isn't so great, maybe my scanning will do the trick."

She could feel Cyros's hurt as she focused her scanners on the world around them. She knew she was being unnecessarily snappy and irritable, but she desperately needed to see the library and figure out the story behind Valtor. Somehow, she knew it was the ticket out.

Her scanners beeped loudly, and she nearly jumped back. ARMED PERSONNEL. She turned back towards Cyros.

"We're being followed," she hissed.

And then she heard it. Men were leaping out of the iceberg, pointing their spears towards Tecna and Cyros. The same men who'd attacked them before, to be precise. Cyros immediately jumped back, whimpering.

"You are surrounded," the man in front of them snarled. "Do not try to escape. You are done for."

* * *

**Ooh, what's going to happen? You may be surprised. Short chapter, I know, but I had to fit this in somehow.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- The girls (minus Bloom) enter through the Crystal Labyrinth.**

**\- Each of them confronts truths that are hard to swallow.**

**\- Flora is assaulted with memories about her life.**

**See you on Wednesday!**


	34. Chapter 31: The Crystal Labyrinth

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"Why?" Stella shouted at her father. "Why didn't you even ask me before getting engaged to her?"_**

**_"I thought it would be a wonderful surprise," King Radius said, taken aback. "I thought you'd be happy to have someone to consider a mother."_**

**_"I already have a mom, and she's awesome!" Stella yelled. "You know how I felt when you divorced Mom! And now you're letting – that woman – replace her!"_**

**_"We've been through this many times, Stella," her father said. "Solaria needs a queen, and Countess Cassandra is as good as any other. Not to mention, her daughter is a lovely girl, and I'm sure you'll be friends in no time" –_**

**_To this Stella stormed out of the room, slamming the door in her father's face._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"I still don't know what to do about Nabu." Layla sounded frustrated. "I've tried to talk to my parents, but they're just not giving in. I can't do this!"_**

**_"I don't know, Layla. Maybe you should give the boy a chance," Bloom suggested._**

**_"He might not be so bad," Musa agreed. "I mean, Riven and I are doing pretty well, even if we're at wit's ends sometimes."_**

**_"No way!" Layla snapped. "Boys just aren't worth it. Look at me, right now! No guys, no problems."_**

**_"But no romance," Stella had her eyes raised. "So sad. I think Layla has a case of Arranged Marriage Syndrome."_**

**_"They're still making you go through with that?" Mirta was shocked._**

**_Layla snorted. "Don't worry. I'm not marrying anyone, much less someone they choose for me. In fact, I'm done with boys for good."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora knew she should've been open with her friends from the start. But she hadn't learned anything from the Resort Realm. They'd all been squabbling with each other back then, too – but that was mainly from stress, not because they had a deep reason to mistrust each other._**

**_But Flora had planted the seeds of distrust. She'd sowed them all this time unknowingly, and now the roots were too deep to be pulled out._**

**_And she had no one to blame but herself._**

* * *

CHAPTER 31: THE CRYSTAL LABYRINTH

Flora opened her eyes to see herself in a shimmering, blue crystal land. It shined like water, and she stared around, dazed.

"Where _are _we?" Musa asked, pulling herself up.

Flora stared around, unable to describe this beautiful place she'd just arrived at.

The world around her was a shimmering blue color. The ground under her feet was solid, and the air around her was completely fluid. In fact, when Flora reached up to touch it, it felt like it was…

"We're _underwater_," Layla breathed.

Flora had never been underwater with such clarity of sight. _And we can breathe, too… _She stared around at the world around her.

There were beautiful scrolls and brackets decorating the walls, all of them completely blue. Pearls adorned the underwater arches, and ahead of them was coral. Fish swam freely ahead of them, colorful amid the brilliant waters.

"It's like an underwater palace," Musa whispered in awe.

"Look!" Layla pointed forward.

Flora looked. A merman was swimming towards them, his long blue tresses floating behind him. His bright green tail shimmered as he beckoned to the girls.

"Follow me," he said.

Flora swam towards him uncertainly, her wings now useless due to the immense water. The other girls followed close behind as he steered them through blue banisters, coral reefs, and schools of fish. She took in all of it, gasping in awe.

"This is the Outpost to the Serpent Dimension," the man said. "From everywhere in the Dragon Dimension, travellers come to learn of this shrine's sacred wisdom and how to meditate into the other dimension. They come here to study. Is that your purpose here, or do you wish to speak with the Elder?"

"We want to speak with her," Layla declared.

"Then follow me," the man said. "I will take you to her."

The girls swam, following him down the winding corridor. At the end, they could make out a bright light. They swam until the end, and stared as soon as they turned the corner.

They were in a beautiful crypt. The Elder sat on her serpent-shaped throne, her face old and wise. She had long silvery hair that flowed far past her waist, and dark blue eyes. She wore a dark blue robe over her crystalline blue tail, one which glimmered in the water like a jewel. Above her throne was a statue of a female monk, one whom Flora had no idea who she was.

"Guru Coriala," the woman said, as if hearing her thoughts. "The first magical being to meditate into the Serpent Dimension. She founded this temple, on the edge of the world."

Flora couldn't respond - she was too much in awe. She glanced around at the other girls and saw that they had similar stunned expressions on their faces.

"I am Amphitrite, Guardian Fairy of Neró," the woman continued. "I have served on this seat for three-hundred years. All that has ever existed in both dimensions, I strive to know." She gazed over at them. "Who will speak for you?"

The girls jumped in surprise; they were too much in awe to have even contemplated speaking. "Er"... Flora said nervously.

"I think you should speak for us, Stella," Musa said, pointing to her.

"Me?" Stella gasped.

"It was your idea to converge our fairy-dust," Layla said. "If anyone knows what to say, it's you."

"Princess Stella of Solaria," Amphitrite said. "Speak."

"Okay." Stella took in a deep breath, and faced Amphitrite. "We're in this battle with Valtor, and it's really bad. He's taken over the treasures of nearly every realm of the Magical Dimension; even the UR is powerless against him. His power-source is derived from the Dragon Flame, like my friend Bloom - who couldn't come, even though she wanted to. Anyways," she continued quickly, as Amphitrite raised her eyebrows, "The only magic that'll put out the Dragon Fire is the Water Star, and since we can't meditate to the Serpent Dimension, we came here. So we're hoping we can, um, get the Water Stars and maybe, well, save the universe?"

There was no sign of sympathy, or kindness, or any kind of emotion on Amphitrite's face. "The Water Stars are indeed the opposite of the Dragon Fire."

"Exactly," agreed Stella. "And we need them to defeat Valtor. The UR is powerless against him – it doesn't even know how to locate him. Since Valtor's after us, it has to be _us _who defeats him, and we can't do it without the Water Stars. Without the Water Stars, the whole Magical Dimension will be destroyed."

"How badly do you want them?" Amphitrite asked.

"More than _anything_," Musa declared.

"So you'd give up your innermost desires to save the world?"

"Duh!" Stella agreed. "I mean, no offense, but wouldn't _anyone_?"

"We shall see," Amphitrite said solemnly. "You will enter the Crystal Labyrinth. If you all can find your way out, I will give you the Water Stars."

"What kind of maze is this?" Layla asked.

"You see," Amphitrite answered, "water takes many different forms. Like the other elements, it has many valuable functions. It is those uses we need to seek out when wishing to learn the water's language."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Musa demanded.

Amphitrite didn't answer. Instead, Musa, Stella, and Layla vanished completely, without so much as a trace. Completely taken aback, Flora stared at Amphitrite.

But before she could open her mouth, the ground disappeared below her. She screamed as she was shoved down a chute, where water churned endlessly below. Bedraggled and exhausted, she lay at the bottom.

"Your friends have been sent to the Crystal Labyrinth," she heard Amphitrite's voice. "You are their collateral, their incentive to make the right decisions. And if they don't, here you shall stay – forever."

* * *

"Where are the others?" Stella asked, staring around.

She had ended up in the labyrinth, all by herself. Blue walls surrounded her at every turn, and so did water. Clearly, they were somewhere in the lake.

"I hate mazes!" Stella complained to herself. "There's always some trick about them! And this water's gonna really mess with my hair!"

No one answered. Letting out a sigh, the princess swam down the corridor, huffing to herself.

She remembered the day she and her friends – minus Flora and Tecna – had rescued her father from Cassandra's grasp. It still sung to her like a victory, and she remembered it all too clearly. Smiling, she remembered sprinkling fairy-dust over her father, breaking the spell.

And yet, everything still wasn't right with her family. Her mother, after all, hadn't visited the Solarian palace in years, not even to see Stella at her Princess Ball. She wished her parents could be together, or at least civil to one another.

_So what do I do? _Stella thought, stopping. She had reached an intersection, with two tunnels diverging; one to the left, one to the right. _Which way do I go?_

She focused on her powers, on the light around her. As a solar-fairy, her powers were considerably weaker when she was not around sun; however, she could still use them to refract light._ Maybe I can figure out which way is brighter. _She focused her eyes.

She thought she could make out a little bit more light towards her left. To any other fairy, the difference would've been inconsequential. But to Stella, it was clear which way she had to go.

"That way is clearer," Stella whispered to herself, "so that's the way I'm gonna go." Feeling more confident, she swam forwards, hoping she would find her way.

* * *

"Let's see," Layla frowned, focusing on the water around her.

The water sparkled back at her, warm and welcoming. _Let's see if I can detect the direction of the currents… _Closing her eyes, she moved her hands, feeling the water's motion in the corridor.

As she moved her hands, she thought about Ophir. She'd hated how entitled he'd been, how she'd had to save him from Icy in the end. But now he had saved all of _them_. Slowly, it dawned on her that there were things she _liked _about his personality. Even his cockiness was beginning to grow on her, because he had quite a few brains in his head – not to mention, some awesome surfing moves.

_He could be my friend. _She'd never had a male friend in her life before, but didn't see why she couldn't start. _As soon as I get out of here, I'm going to ask him for his number. _Though she hoped that he wouldn't see her as a potential love-interest, as she was already taken. The world didn't know about her engagement yet, but it would only be a matter-of-time.

She shook her head. Why was she thinking about Ophir, when the whole world rested on her shoulders? _I've got to get out of here. _She focused on the water, concentrating hard.

And she felt it. A slight swirl to the left. It seemed slightly more fluid, nudging her ever so slightly in the direction.

_That's the way I have to go_, Layla realized. Determined, she swam towards the current, hoping to find the way out.

* * *

Musa closed her eyes as she concentrated on the maze. Every turn seemed difficult, and more and more jarring. She frowned, trying to listen to the sounds around her.

Nothing. There wasn't much music, or really much of anything, in this cave.

_How am I going to get through? _Musa thought. _How will I reach the end?_

Unlike the rest of her friends, Musa had been hesitant to ostracize Flora for keeping her sexuality a secret. After all, she'd known quite a few gay people; it was natural, as far as she was concerned. The girls had made it a bigger deal than it actually was.

She knew how much silence could hurt people. It was incredibly painful, and also an incredibly ineffective way of solving disputes. Just like the times she'd fought with Riven, unable to express herself.

"I think this is the way to go," she whispered to herself. It just _felt_ right, following the direction that she felt would take her through the labyrinth. "I need to follow my feelings. I can't be like Tecna and bottle them up."

_Tecna… _Grief welled up in her, and she remembered how painful it was, seeing Tecna fall through the portal. _We'll make it up to you, Tec, I promise… _Closing her eyes, she continued forward, following her heart.

* * *

Flora groaned as she lay at the bottom of the waterfall. _This hurts… please, make it stop… _She was sure bruises were covering every bit of her body.

"Let me out!" she cried. But no response. _No one can hear me under the force of this water… _Crying out, she pushed against it, trying to get out of the waterfall.

It was no use. She collapsed again at the bottom, weak and exhausted.

_Why am I stuck here? _she thought painfully. _Why did she send the others in, but not me? Why did I have to be in this waterfall? Am I really that… useless?_

Of course she was. After all, she'd made many horrible mistakes over the past year. She'd failed to trust her friends with her relationship, and with the knowledge that Valtor had the Dragon Flame. But, worst of all, she'd done nothing to avert Tecna's death. _I lied to them… I'm a horrible person… _She bowed her head.

_You are_, the water seemed to say to her. _You don't deserve to be released from here. Look at how filthy and disgusting you are! Your best friend died because of you. And now you're here to pay penance._

_I'm sorry, Tecna… _Tears falling down her cheeks, she succumbed to her pain, letting the water batter her until she was bedraggled on the floor.

* * *

The light was getting brighter and brighter. Never had water given Stella so much clarity and sight. _I'm almost there! _She could feel it as she walked forward, towards the end…

And she gasped at what she saw ahead.

In front of her was a brilliant beacon of light. Shimmering over all the water, it let her see every color, every texture, of the brilliant chamber. _This is awesome! _"I love this," she said cheerfully, dancing around.

"Indeed," a voice said, and Amphitrite appeared. "You have allowed the water's clarity to lead you to the exit."

"Woo-hoo!" Stella cheered. "So does this mean I get to leave this maze?"

"Not quite," Amphitrite answered, and flicked her hands. Two mirrors appeared on the wall.

"Look through them and see what you would choose."

Stella stared through the first mirror, expecting to see her own reflection. She was taken quite aback when she saw her father, sitting on the floor of his palace.

He was smiling, sitting with his former wife next to him. They didn't look like they were in love, but they still had pleasant relations, happily talking to one another. Stella smiled, happy to see her parents together.

"That is what could happen," the Elder's voice whispered. "With the water's unique power of insight and clarity, your parents could set aside their differences and pay more attention to you, their child. Look to see what might happen if you leave things as they are now."

Stella looked in the other mirror and gasped, taken aback.

She saw hundreds of women, all lined up to see King Radius. _He's gonna marry someone _else_… _She stared in disbelief, and turned towards Amphitrite.

"How?" she cried. "How is it he hasn't learned _anything _from Cassandra?" Why was her father always so _clueless_? "I can't let this happen!"

"Then you will go through the other mirror," Amphitrite said. "With my powers, I can cast a spell on your father that'll make him realize how important his relationship with you and your mother is. However, if you go that way, you will never get the Water Stars."

"So if I choose the Water Stars, my father and I won't be happy?" Stella cried.

"Choose," Amphitrite said solemnly.

Stella closed her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to let Amphitrite smack him with a good old-fashioned spell, so he'd finally come to his senses. _Stupid Dad… he won't listen to anything I have to say…_

But wasn't that exactly what Countess Cassandra had done? She'd spelled her father, just to meet her own ends. _I can't do that to him… _She stared at Amphitrite.

"No," she said. "As annoying as Daddy can be, I won't do it. All I can do is talk to him and tell him how important it is to me that he doesn't make the same mistake."

"As you wish," Amphitrite answered. "Now enter through the portal."

Swallowing hard, Stella closed her eyes. "Let's hope this works," she whispered. Then she walked into the portal.

* * *

Layla swam forward, enjoying the rush of water against her skin. With every stroke she felt it guiding her forward, eagerly taking her to what would be her next destination. _Almost there…_

She reached a central chamber. Immediately, she felt the water, flowing evenly around her. _This is the exit… _Amphitrite appeared in front of her, her eyes stately.

"You have reached the exit," she said, "by allowing the water to guide you forward. You are a changing person, evolving much faster than you ever have before. Therefore, you have different needs and wants. As you mature, you must continue with this same fluidity, allowing change to happen when it must." She motioned to the floor below her, where two whirlpools had appeared. "Look into both of them, Princess of Andros."

Layla swam forward, kneeling down. There was a blurry image of herself in the first one. _Wait… that's… _The image went into focus, and she gasped at what she saw.

She was holding Ophir. The two of them were surfing together, having the time of their lives as they shot through the waves. _That looks like so much fun… _She wanted that life more than anything, one where she could be carefree and excited.

"Now," Amphitrite spoke, "look into the second one."

Layla inched over, gazing at the other whirlpool. She gasped immediately, taken aback.

She was dressed in the traditional orange bethrothal-dress, with a long red headscarf. A faceless man was holding her hand. _That's my future… in just a few months… _She stared in disbelief.

"You don't want this future," Amphitrite said, "and the water senses it. It knows you want change. If you enter the other pool, I will change your future. I will place an enchantment on your parents, and they will decide not to arrange your marriage after all. For a price, of course."

"What price?" Layla asked.

"You would never receive the Water Stars."

Silence. Layla stared at Amphitrite, completely taken aback.

"What am I going to do?" she whispered. "If I don't follow the first route, I'll be forced to follow the Androsian tradition. But if I don't follow the second, Valtor will be unstoppable. What should I do?"

"That is your choice," Amphitrite said calmly.

Layla frowned. Something Amphitrite said about change had caught in her mind. _I'm ready for change… I'm ready to change how I view the world. I'm ready to change the traditions on Andros and live for myself._

_But not everyone is._ After all, change could never be forced. A river could change its course, but only after centuries of persuading the earth around it to shift. _Even if I let her spell my parents, my subjects won't change. They'll be angry with my family for changing its mind._

She had to leave her desire for freedom behind. With a sigh, she gazed up at Amphitrite.

"I choose the Water Stars," she said. Without giving herself time to think, she sank into the portal, allowing the swirl of water to carry her over time.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Musa felt… happy. Almost as if joy had taken over her life. It was clear that she was going the right direction, the way that made her feel good.

The excitement in her mind grew more and more, until she was positively racing down the corridor. _I'm gonna get there, I'm gonna get there…_

She stopped in a small chamber. The room was filled with sparkles, and beautiful, shimmering music that made her heart ache with delight.

"Musa Lei Xi." Amphitrite's expression was emotionless as she recited Musa's name. "You have gone through many struggles in order to get to the place you are now. However, it seems that you have forgotten something. Do you remember what day it is today?"

Musa gasped; in all the chaos, she'd completely forgotten. "Today is my birthday!" she cried out.

"That's right," Amphitrite answered. "Water has a profound ability to trap memories and emotions. By diving into your feelings, you were able to lead yourself here, the place where time bends in a circle. All that ever existed still exists here."

Musa stared at her. She could hear piano music behind Amphitrite, a Melodian composition from the Age of Discovery. _Wait a minute, I've _heard_ that music before… _She stared in front, and gasped.

Through a portal, she could see her mother. _For the first time in eight years…_ Dressed in a yellow, traditional Melodian tunic, her long fingers glided effortlessly over the piano. The music brought tears to her eyes as she stared at her mother, shocked and amazed.

"Mom!" she cried.

"Musa?" the serene voice whispered, and Musa's mother stood up from the piano bench. There was no trace of surprise in her expression; only a peaceful acceptance. The white-faced woman walked over to her, staring at her from the other side of the portal.

"You've grown so much," she whispered. "My little baby… now an adult"…

"You, too," Musa whispered. The truth was, her mother hadn't changed at all; in fact, she looked exactly how Musa remembered her.

"Let me look at you." Musa's mother walked up to the portal, her eyes gentle and warm. "You're so beautiful – I can see the strength in your eyes. It's hard to believe – why, it feels as if, just a few days, I held you in my arms – why, my miracle"…

"If you go through that portal, you can speak to her again," Amphitrite said. "You can receive your mother's love in a way you never had during your teen years. And you will never be separated from her again."

"But what about the Water Stars?" Musa breathed.

"You will never receive them," Amphitrite answered. "That is the price you pay."

Musa's head was spinning. _So if I forfeit the Water Stars, I'll get to see her again… but then the world will be in terrible danger._

If she succumbed to her feelings and stayed with her mother, Valtor would win and destroy the world. _I can't let that happen… _She stared up at her mother.

"Mom," she whispered, "you have to believe that, more than anything, I want to be with you. I want to free you from the Overworld and bring you home to Dad, so we can be a family again and you can sing for us every night. But the rest of the world will perish if I stay with you." Tears freely fell down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Mom." She walked towards the second portal.

She refused to look at her mother. _If I see her, I'll never want to leave here… _She held her hands out, ready to transport herself through the portal…

"Musa, wait!" her mother cried, and Musa halted. "I'm so proud of you. I know, with you out there, the universe will be in safe hands. I love you with all my heart."

It was those words that made Musa look over at her mother. She saw her mother's teary face, her brilliant expression, and shining eyes. "I love you, too," she whispered. And then she walked through the portal.

* * *

It seemed like time came to a standstill as Flora lay on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness. Visions came to her head, none of them good.

She saw visions of the war in Linphea, Zenithian troops attacking village after village. She saw her mother's anguished face, her father's anger, her sister's terror. Bloom's face kept reoccurring in her mind, angry that she hadn't told her what she knew. And then she saw Tecna, disappearing into the portal…

_I failed them_, she thought. _I hurt everything and everyone. It's my fault I'm going through this now. _She squeezed her eyes tight. _Is this where it ends?_

Valtor was going to take over the world now. All because of her inadequacy, that she was too lost to do anything about it. _I'm tainted beyond repair…_

There was someone she loved, someone she's spent many measures protecting. _Who was that? _She thought she could catch a glimpse of her face, though she couldn't remember her name. _My girlfriend… I didn't want my friends to know…_

_Mirta. _Her mind immediately jolted as she remembered the girl, her bright red hair, her wide, brown eyes. _She loves me, despite my brokenness. And she's counting on me to bring back the Water Stars!_ She sat up instantly.

_But… how? How could anyone love me, after all I've done? Why _should _anyone love me? _She sat back, weak and exhausted.

She remembered a time when she'd felt this broken, disappointed and angry with herself. It had been during the war with the Army of Decay, a few days before Bloom returned to Alfea. She, Stella, Musa, and Tecna had been in their apartment, preparing for the next onslaught from Cloud Tower. She was frustrated after countless times of trying to save Mirta, turning her back from a pumpkin…

"I feel like I've done everything I can," she'd said to Stella, a few days before Bloom returned to Alfea. "But Mirta's still a pumpkin."

"You might as well throw the towel in, Flo," Musa said.

"You mean _give up_?" Flora gasped.

"Look, if any of us could break the spell, it's _you_, and it's obviously not going to work. So just let it go – it'd be better for everyone. Right, Stell?"

"It's sad, but true," Stella whispered. "There's no hope for Mirta as a witch. Poor thing."

"I think it's time to find her a nice sunny pumpkin-patch," said Musa.

"That way, she'll at least be amongst friends," Stella agreed.

"Stop talking like that!" Flora cried. "I know she can be saved. I _know _it!"

"Flora will never give up on her," Tecna agreed. The technology-fairy had remained silent this whole time, but was now joining in. "That girl's the reason why she's been fighting all this time."

"I'm going to try it again," Flora told Musa and Stella. "I'm going to use all my Winx in a last attempt at saving her. I have to do it, and free her from her prison!" She transformed.

She placed her hands on the pumpkin, staring into its eyes. "I need to feel you, Mirta," she said. Taking in a deep breath, she let the energy flow through her, first getting in-touch with her own energy before transferring it to Mirta.

_But I can't feel her… _This was always the problem she'd had – no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't feel Mirta's essence. _Mirta, I know you're there somewhere…_

"You can do it!" Tecna shouted. "Come on, Flora, go for it!"

That was all the encouragement Flora needed. "I'm going to try this the Linphean way," she said, sitting cross-legged on the floor, next to her plants, and placed the pumpkin on her lap. She closed her eyes, entering a full meditative state as she connected with the energy of her plants, the pumpkin, and herself.

_I know you're inside there. _Determination shot through her as she felt her energy coursing through the pumpkin. _I know you're there, and I'm not giving up until I get you out! _A golden light shot over the pumpkin, enveloping the room.

"Something's happening!" Musa shouted.

Through her meditative trance, Flora saw a vision before her. She was in a golden void, one that smelled of cellulose. She looked forward, and saw Mirta's reaching out to her, her arm extending.

"Flora!" she shouted, reaching desperately with her hand.

"Mirta!" Flora cried, determination surging through her. _I'm going to save her – I'm not going to let her be stuck! _She reached her hand out, and, firmly, clasped it with Mirta's own. Brown hand met white as they stared into each other's eyes.

And in that moment, a blinding surge of energy shot through the room. Opening her eyes, Flora found herself back in the apartment, staring downwards. There was no longer any pumpkin in her lap – she was sitting by herself on the floor. _What – where is – _She looked up, and gasped.

Mirta was standing right in front of her, looking just the same as ever. The same cute freckles were on her face, her shirt was as iconic as ever, and her eyes were just as brown. She stared up at Flora and let out a gasp.

"Mirta!" Flora cried, immediately standing up. The two of them ran towards each other, launching themselves into each other's arms. They both laughed like hyenas, letting their fears and worries dissipate, as if they'd never been there to begin with.

"I'm so glad to have legs and arms again," Mirta said. "Thank you so much for not giving up on me, Mirta."

"I think it worked because we both really wanted it to happen," Flora smiled, staring down into the girl's eyes. "We both tried harder than we ever had before."

"And we both believed it was going to work," Mirta smiled.

Not that Flora believed anything was going to work out now. She stared around the waters, feeling the weight beat her down over and over again. But a new idea was starting to take hold, one that she hadn't thought before.

_I made mistakes_, she realized, _but I've done lots of good things before, too. I freed Mirta and restored the Flower of Life. _It was getting more and more apparent in her mind. _And I had people who believed in me all this time, too. I had Faragonda and Chatta and Mirta and – Tecna. I'm not filthy; I just made a few mistakes. But I won't make them again. _Determination rose in her, and she bowed her head. _I will absolve myself of my mistakes by freeing the world!_

"I am Flora Fernández," she said aloud. "I have made mistakes, yes, but it has not sullied my soul. There is no need to justify myself." She bowed her head, and then added, "I am pure and whole!"

The waterfall stopped. Flora gasped as she felt herself moving upright, the water no longer beating on her head. _What's happening? _She stared down at herself.

A cooling, healing energy filled her from top-to-bottom, gentle and undulating. It flowed through her, as cleanly as a stream itself. She felt connected to every nerve in her body, every vessel, every heart…

And then hot water shot out from under her feet.

Flora gasped in delight as the water shot her out of the tunnel. _It feels so warm and soothing… like a bubble-bath… _She giggled, feeling light and happy.

The floor closed below her, and she stared upward. Out of three separate portals, the other girls were walking forward, eyes downcast and worried. Her smile faded, and she gazed at them in concern.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"That," a voice said, "is the call of the elemental Water Stars."

Amphitrite floated down towards them, lightly and gently. Her expression was uncharacteristically pleased as she gazed at the girls.

"Water has many qualities," she said, "all of which you learned today. You all possessed the ability to navigate through the channels, figuring out which way was best for you." She turned her attention to Stella.

"Water has the ability to clarify, to provide all with ample sight. Its clear, pristine surface lets us see the truth of many, many situations. For example, it is clear that your father is not following his heart; with your ability of insight, you can understand this. However, insight is not always a good thing, when paired with headstrongness and a stubborn will. Even if you are right, it is not always your place to make decisions about other people.

"Hence, you learned to utilize clarity sparingly, only when absolutely needed. After all, you can never be omnipotent, and the only person whom you can ever know is yourself."

Amphitrite turned to Layla, who was gazing at her with searching eyes.

"Water is an agent of change. It is often mistaken as a gentle, submissive element, next to its fiery opposite; however, this is far from the truth. Left uncontrolled, it can break earth to shreds and destroy everything in its path. Hence, the reason why such change must always be curtailed.

"Brave princess of Andros, you recognized that in your trial. You realized that the will of a people can never be changed, and when it does change, it will be as fluid as the stream itself. Perhaps that is the greatest wisdom of all: the only person we can ever hope to change is ourselves."

Then Amphitrite moved to Musa, who was staring at her with teary eyes. _What did she go through?_

"Water is the most compassionate of all the elements. Its healing, regenerative power has been prided for centuries; after all, it is used to bathe, cleanse, and soothe. As a fairy of music, you have high sensitivity and connectedness, which is why this aspect of water called out to you. You have also been through enough hardships to understand the importance of compassion. However, sensitivity is not always a good thing, especially when debilitating grief and sorrow takes over.

"Your trial was the hardest of all to administer; I am especially sorry I had to put you through that on your birthday. I debated whether or not to show you your mother, especially because her death will always be raw in your mind. Even I cannot bring the dead back to life, so I shudder to think what I would've done had you chosen to go through the wrong portal. In the end, you proved me wrong. Your passion did not get in the way of your determination to save the Magical Dimension. Lady Musa Xi, you deserve the highest honor. You may have come of age today, but it seems to me you came into your own a long time ago."

_She gave up her mother to save the Magical Dimension? _Flora thought. _I don't think I'd ever be brave enough to make that sacrifice._

Then she felt Amphitrite's eyes on her. Her piercing blue gaze searched Flora for a moment, and then she spoke, her tone unwavering.

"Water has a fourth power: cleansing. The Water Stars are the purest substances in the Magical Dimension, rivaling even fairy-dust. It is the reason why you had to purify yourselves in order to enter this shrine. It can cleanse all emotional baggage, all self-perceptions of filth and disgust. And you, my friend, had a lot of that." Flora blushed, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly.

"But you pushed through it. You refused to let the negativity control you, for deep down, you knew it wasn't true. You allowed yourself to believe in your own capabilities. Purification-rituals are performed in every culture, by elders and sages. Yet, the truest purification one can ever go through is one that is self-driven, for it is then that one truly believes she is clean of all sin and doubt." She smiled down at the four girls.

"Hence the four parts of this trial: clarity, change, compassion, and cleanliness. As such, I bestow upon you the Water Stars." A golden box appeared in her hands, and she held it out to Stella. The princess opened it and gasped.

Four brilliant Water Stars sat inside the case. An orange-and-yellow, green-and-purple, red-and-pink, and pink-and-green Star sat side-by-side, gleaming with ancient power.

"They're… _beautiful_," Musa gasped.

"Inside of each of these is the Serpent Water," Amphitrite said. "They will only work when activated. And they will extinguish any speck of the Dragon Flame that resides within Valtor."

"Thank you," Flora breathed.

"I wish you well." Amphitrite smiled. "Your wisdom and courage far exceeds your youth; there is no one else I would entrust the Dimension's fate with. Make sure you use them well."

With a wave of her hand, the watery world disappeared, and darkness descended upon them once more.

* * *

"The Water Stars," Bloom breathed.

Flora held the box out to Bloom. The fairy took it, drawing in a breath as she gazed over at her friends' faces.

"We each earned them, based off of our attributes," Stella said. "The orange-and-yellow one's for clarity."

"The green-and-purple is for courage," Layla said.

"The red-and-pink one's for compassion," Musa added.

"And the pink-and-green Star is for cleanliness," Flora finished.

"In here are four ancient Water Stars," Bloom whispered, "which Stella, Layla, Musa, and Flora sacrificed everything for. You were forced to throw your wishes aside so the universe would be saved. And that is the most honorable thing anyone can do.

"Of course, we would've never made it here had it not been for Tecna. She laid down her own life so we could live and spread balance to the world." Tears came to her eyes. "There's no way we can ever repay her, but we _can _follow in her footsteps. Let's all make a pact on Tecna's bravery. No matter how fierce the battle becomes, how much we lose, we won't stop until we defeat Valtor!"

"I'm in!" Musa said, sounding choked up.

"Me too," Layla added.

"You got it," Stella declared.

"We'll do it," Flora answered, fighting back her own tears. _I won't give up on my friends, no matter how hard the battle becomes… Tecna, we will follow in your example of sacrifice. This I promise you._

The five women held their hands together. Eyes resolute, they leapt into the air and shouted, "For Tecna!"

* * *

**Wow, that was quite emotional. I do like me some tearbending. :) An ****_Avatar: The Last Airbender _****reference, if you've ever watched that show.**

**Next chapter:**

**\- Cyros reveals an important ability to Tecna.**

**\- Tecna and Cyros enter the library and discover how it's been maintained.**

**\- Tecna finds information about a contemporary of Valtor's.**


	35. Chapter 32: A New Warfare

**Hello, everyone! I was worried I might not get this chapter on time, but here it is! I have it for you today! However, I'm going to have to warn you that updates might not be so regular from here out. I'm working on the next set of chapters, and I really need to make sure the plot matches up. If I don't update next Wednesday, don't be too surprised.**

**Also, I have to give you a fair warning that this chapter may be a little… freaky. I can't say _how_, because that would spoil it, but read at your own risk. It's not _terrible_ – no one dies (not yet, hehehe), but I just wanted to let you know.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Tecna stared up in horror. _****Did I just release a convict? ****_She could scarcely believe it. _****How is he still alive? ****_She stared as the ice cracked completely, and the figure fell out._**

**_Tecna ran up to him, kneeling down. I've got to find out who he is… She pulled over his hood and let out a gasp._**

**_ It wasn't a man who'd fallen out of the ice. In fact, it was a _****boy****_. He had purple hair, Zenithian facial features, and extraordinarily pale skin. But it was his face that gave him away – it was very youthful._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora stared at the ceiling, wondering whether she'd ever see her family alive. No one would listen to her. Her parents didn't believe she could do anything about Zenith, and neither did Faragonda._**

**_She just couldn't shake the feeling that the Valtor and Vasiliev problem were both related. Although Faragonda wanted to deal with them separately, somehow, she knew they had to be dealt with at the same time._**

**Please, please make it out of the war alive****_, she thought. _****Please defeat Zenith and Valtor and save the Magical Dimension from falling apart.**

_**-o-o-o-**_

**_"Do you know why I do this, Tecna?" Vasiliev asked._**

**_She stared up at him in surprise. "N-no," she choked out._**

**_"Control is everything," Vasiliev said, and for a moment, his eyes positively gleamed. "Control makes us stronger. And… absolutely glorious."_**

**This is what you call glorious? _Tecna wanted to shout. _Look at me! I have no _life_! _As if hearing her words, Vasiliev laughed._**

**_"It is control that has made me who I am today," he said. "And when my program comes to fruition, I will have so much control. All this time, you've been my test subject, my little experiment to see what happens when I have control."_**

**_Tecna stared weakly up at him, but Vasiliev didn't elaborate more on the subject. He smiled._**

**_"As an ancestor of ours once said," he whispered, "'Control is the essence of chaos.'"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ Long ago, Zenith was a peaceful kingdom, but everything changed in the Age of Blood. In 16002, Zenithian peasants staged a violent coup on King Nikolai, the last monarch of Zenith. The people could only watch helplessly as their government changed, right before their eyes._**

**_ Centuries of dictatorship followed. The communist dictators, all pledging to end disparity between social classes, only ended up making it worse. They destroyed freedom of the press, banned capitalism, and put thousands in concentration camps. The people were forced into silence._**

**_ Zenith is communist no more. However, the dictatorship still lives on, well-alive in the hands of Premier Medea…_**

* * *

CHAPTER 32: A NEW WARFARE

Tecna looked wildly around. Around them were six men, converging upon them in a circle. She transformed quickly, pulling Cyros with her.

"Up!" she shouted.

She carried the boy, flying up into the air. Unfortunately, these men weren't as dumb as the men whom Cyros had fooled, and stopped as soon as they realized where they were.

"We've got you!" the men shouted. "There's no escape!"

"What do you want from us?" Cyros cried out.

"Simple," the man laughed. "We want you to spill the secret of getting out of here. We need to leave, and you're gonna tell us how!"

"Do you think we want to be here anymore than you do?" Tecna yelled. "Do you think we don't want to leave, too?"

"Sure," the man laughed, "but you're not just gonna help us with that. You're gonna show us how to get outta here, and then you're gonna help us claim back our ancestors' glory!"

_No_, thought Tecna, her head spinning. _These men are crazy. I can't let them hurt Cyros. _She glared down at them.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get," she snarled. Flying down towards the edge of the ice, she placed Cyros down and whispered, "Escape quickly." Then she flew back towards the men, slamming them with an attack spell.

The men yelled as she blasted them, pulling back. But Tecna wasn't done yet. _They're gonna regret messing with us… _Blasting the men with a digital slap, she shot them down, making the five of them fall to their backs. _Wait… the _five _of them…_

She gasped as someone grabbed her by the back, and a hand tightened around her throat. "You're done for."

Tecna struggled. She tried to summon her magic and slam him behind her, but the chokehold was weakening her energy. _I can't… _She was ready to surrender, to let them take over, now that Cyros had gone free…

"Let go of her!"

Suddenly, the man released her, and she fell to the ground. Turning around, she gasped at what she saw.

The man was now trapped in an orange prism. Only his hand stuck out, and he was cursing and shouting.

"Watch out," the boy's voice called behind him, "or I'll electrocute you until you become code!"

_Cyros! _Tecna stared at him, stunned.

The boy was running towards her, an orange sphere of light in his hands. His purple hair gleamed as he flew down. He released the man from the prism, who spat at his face. He turned and ran, leaving Tecna to stare at Cyros, at a complete loss for words.

"You have magical powers?" she gasped.

"Yep," Cyros answered. "That's me."

Tecna's head was spinning. _He's a magically-enfranchised fairy-man… _Besides Saladin, she had never seen a fairy-male with magic. And that wasn't all the power Cyros had, apparently.

"You have ancient power of Prism-Making," she breathed. "You can create geometric shapes out of electrons and pure mathematical analysis. So few have that power." She stared at him. "How did you have it?"

"I don't know," Cyros said with a shrug. "I was born with it, I guess."

"_That's_ how you stopped yourself from freezing over!" Tecna realized. "You created a prism to shield yourself, didn't you? You stopped the ice from freezing your bones!"

Cyros was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"I remember where the library is now," he said, creating a prism in his hands. "We have to go that way." He sent the prism to the ceiling, where Tecna could make out a passageway. "Let's fly up and go that way."

"I hope you're right," Tecna responded. "I don't want us to be attacked again. Come on, let's go." She flew after him, hoping this would be right.

* * *

And so it was. Walking through the passageway, they found a large door with a digital lock on the other side. Cyros frowned, gazing up at it.

"It should come apart easily," he said. "Watch this!" He ran towards the door.

"Cyros!" Tecna called, but Cyros had slammed a stick against the door. The stick immediately rebounded, hitting the boy on the head. "Oof!" he yelled, falling back down.

"Are you okay?" Tecna asked, running towards him.

"Yeah," he grunted. "Don't think the stick is, though." He gazed at his stick, which had splintered completely.

"This isn't the way to do it," Tecna answered. She stood up, facing the door and staring at the digital padlock.

_If it's digital, there must be coding – which means maybe I can hack into it_, she realized. Transforming into her Enchantix, she created a neural wire, connecting to the padlock.

She could feel herself connecting with it in ways she never would've been able to before. _This is amazing… I feel so connected now… _She could see exactly which ways the lock was turning.

SYSTEM BYPASS, she activated. (33.3°); { ; (66.7°); (11.1°); }

The locks immediately began to turn, and Cyros stared at it in astonishment. "You got it!" he cheered.

Tecna pushed the door open. As soon as she entered the room, she gasped in shock.

For starters, it was _warm_. Unlike the rest of the realm, it had central heating, forcing Tecna to take off her wraps. For another, the hall was immense, even bigger than Alfea's archives.

Shelves lined the walls, from bottom to top. The ceiling was a good ten meters above Tecna, which left immense space for dusty, old books. _The Gatekeepers sure had a lot…. _She stared around, breathless with awe.

"This is way cooler than playing ball!" Cyros cheered.

"Hang on a minute," Tecna frowned. "The Gatekeepers were killed by the Fifth Dimensional War generals a thousand years ago, so I'm wondering – does this place have the information we need?"

"Whaddya talkin' about?" asked Cyros.

"If they all died a thousand years ago, there's no one to update the information!" Tecna answered. "So what if this place doesn't have the information we need?"

"That doesn't matter," Cyros responded. "We don't need anyone to write the criminal records."

"What're you _talking _about?" Tecna demanded.

"They write _themselves_!" Cyros answered. "The Gatekeepers couldn't scribe the names of every criminal that came here. So every time a criminal came, the enchanted quills would draw a picture of him or her, and the jailer told the quills to write down important information."

"Wow," Tecna said in amazement. _And this was _before_ the Realm Wide Web._ "So even if the Gatekeepers are gone, the books essentially write themselves. Which means the library must hold records of all the criminals." She headed towards the end of the room. "I'm going to find information about Valtor."

"Ooh, can I help?" Cyros asked. "What do I get to do?"

"Catch up on your realmwide history!" Tecna called irritably. "I don't have time to explain what's going on. There're thousands of books here, and I'm sure at least one of them has a detailed account of the past millennium. I need to figure out what happened with Valtor." Knowing full well there wouldn't be a book past the Age of Blood, but that it'd keep Cyros busy for a while, she stalked towards the shelves.

All of them were ordered by chronology. Omega had been opened after the Fourth Dimensional War, when the present-day UR realms decided they needed to have a place to inter criminals after the Fairy Genocide. The genocide criminals that weren't executed were cast into Omega. The ice was enchanted; those who were trapped inside generally died within a few days. _Except for Cyros – and clearly, Valtor._

She wished there was a Gatekeeper that could explain things to them, but no one had set foot in this part of the realm for the past one-thousand-and-twelve years. _Guess I'll have to figure it out myself. _She scanned the area with her sensors, searching for a book with Valtor's name on it.

CONFIRMED, her sensors beeped. KEYWORD 'VALTOR' FOUND. BOOK 2390, STRAIGHT FORWARD 10.3 METERS, RIGHT 2.1 METERS. COORDINATES –

_That's enough_, thought Tecna. She walked towards the book and found it, opening it up.

Name: Valtor Alexandrov

Birth Realm: Zenith

Age at Incarceration: 293

_Valtor wasn't born in Zenith_, thought Tecna in confusion. _And he's definitely not 293 years old. What's going on?_

Year of Incarceration: 15991

_This is the wrong book_, Tecna realized. Flipping to the cover, she saw its title – _Criminals of the Age of Blood, 15000-16012. _This was an entirely different Valtor, one who had come far before their time. Their Valtor lived in the Age of Unity, and had gone by a different name – Basan.

_I should put this away_, thought Tecna. But she couldn't; she was far too immersed. Something made her continue reading, as if her eyes were spelled to the page.

Description:

Dignified at arrest. Spoke very little, except to describe himself as the "pioneer of bioengineering".

Arrested for creating a plague that specifically targeted Linphean immune system. Meant to use it in biological warfare. Plague contaminants destroyed by certified doctors. Estimated to have potential to kill about a half-million people.

_Half a million? _thought Tecna, stunned. _That's over half of Linphea's population! _Had this been a plan for Zenith to take over Linphea all over again?

She continued reading frantically, scanning the page. And then she saw it.

Additional Notes:

Last recorded words before release into Omega were: "Control is the essence of chaos."

Tecna felt as if her heart had just stopped beating. _Someone said that to me before… _It hit her, almost like lightning.

Vasiliev had repeated these very words to her two weeks before she'd fallen into Omega.

"Oh no," Tecna breathed.

"What's up?" Cyros skidded towards her. "_Sestra_, what's goin' on?"

Tecna didn't answer. _Valtor Alexandrov… Alexandrov… _A second bolt of lightning seemed to hit her in the heart.

"This man is Premier Alexandrova's direct ancestor!" she cried. "It was _her _dream for all this to happen! She commissioned Vasiliev, _also _fascinated by her ancestor, to create a plague! And now it's going to spread to all of Linphea!"

"Premier Alexandrova?" Cyros asked in confusion. "Who's _that_?"

"Did you hear a word of what I just said?" Tecna snapped. "Vasiliev's creating a _plague_! Any day now, it's going to decimate Linphea! And… Valtor? He _knew _about this guy, which is why he chose the name! I'll bet anything he and Vasiliev are working together!"

"King Nikolai?" Cyros pointed to the word on the page. "Why – why's _he _here? He put this bad Valtor guy away?" He sounded strangled.

Tecna stared at him. _King Nikolai… _She looked at the page, and saw she'd missed something, written right after Year of Incarceration.

Incarceration Ordered By: King Nikolai of Zenith

Tecna stared at Cyros slowly, who gazed back at her, petrified. Now she remembered everything. _King Nikolai… the last king of Zenith… his son, right before me…_

"You're Prince Cyros," she said slowly. "You're the Lost Prince of Zenith!"

"No I'm not!" Cyros backed away, looking terrified.

"Yes, you are!" Tecna snapped. "Don't lie to me, Cyros! Your father sent you here for your safety, so you'd one day be able to rise up and save Zenith! That's true, isn't?"

Cyros whimpered.

"Well, you're a thousand years late," Tecna said grimly, "but you're going to do this now. You've got to, Cyros! You have to bring Premier Alexandrova down before the plague spreads to Linphea!"

"I can't!" Cyros cried.

"You _have _to!" Tecna snarled. "It's the only way."

Cyros let out a cry. Turning away, he ran down the hall, sobbing.

But Tecna slapped him with a digital ray, and he fell down, stunned. Storming up to him, she grabbed his shirt roughly.

"Do you know how much my people have suffered over the last thousand years? _Your _people, in fact? And you had to get stuck in that STUPID iceberg, when you could've ended the dictatorship!"

"I can't!" Cyros wailed. "I'm just a kid! I didn't ask for this!"

"_I _didn't ask to become a cyborg!" Tecna snarled. "I didn't even ask to end up here, with you! But you don't have a choice, Cyros. Get up and do your duty!"

Cyros lay on the ground, weeping. Tecna glared at him in fury, and then slammed her fist down.

"Fine, then!" She stood up. "I'll find a way myself."

"Don't leave me, _Sestra_!" Cyros cried. "Don't leave me alone!"

"You brought this on yourself," Tecna snarled. Slamming the door shut, she stormed out of the library.

She had no idea how she was going to get out of Omega, but she was going to do it. _I have to find a spaceship. _Heart filled with anger, she stormed forward, determination in her heart.

_And bring Vasiliev down._

* * *

**Okay, I know what you're all going to say. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH CORONA. I wrote this chapter months before the virus hit, definitely long before the lockdown. Although… I can't possibly _not _make corona references now. I hope none of you were _too _freaked out by this drastic change in events, that Vasiliev is using this virus as a weapon for genocide. Okay… I suppose that's a bit hard to ask.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **The girls present the Water Stars to Faragonda.**

\- **Bloom tries to give Mirta some advice.**

\- **Layla discovers the true identity of her future fiancée.**

**See you soon!**


	36. Chapter 33: The Address of Andros

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Bloom stood up so fast Flora thought she'd burst. "The only one who's pathetic here is _****you****_. What kind of sick man are you, anyhow? How could you follow the Ancestresses, when they've done nothing but wrong? To what end? Do you think anyone truly… loves you?"_**

**_Suddenly, Valtor fell to the ground, sobbing. He began to cry out, and Flora stared at him, taken aback._**

**_It was so strange, to see a grown man crying. But what was even worse was that this wasn't ordinary crying – it was heart-wrenching to even listen to. It was like this villain's soul was being yanked out, and it wasn't a nice-looking soul, either._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Why didn't you tell us?" Bloom asked._**

**_"I" – In the corner of her eyes, Flora saw Mirta backing up slowly. "I thought – I thought you'd think differently about me. That you'd stop wanting to be seen with me after finding out I was gay."_**

**_Now Layla exploded. Flora shrank back as the dark-haired girl glared at her, rage in her eyes._**

**_"You thought we wouldn't want to be seen with you anymore? Flora, how could you be such a horrible judge of character? How could you ever think we'd react with anything but love and compassion?"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Look into both pools, Princess of Andros."_**

**_Layla swam forward, kneeling down. There was a blurry image of herself in the first one, with Ophir. The two of them were surfing together, having the time of their lives as they shot through the waves. She wanted that life more than anything, one where she could be carefree and excited._**

**_"Now," Amphitrite spoke, "look into the second one."_**

**_Layla gasped immediately, taken aback. She was dressed in the traditional orange bethrothal-dress, with a long red headscarf. A faceless man was holding her hand._**

**_"You don't want this future," Amphitrite said, "and the water senses it. If you enter the other pool, I will place an enchantment on your parents to prevent the marriage. And you will never receive the Water Stars."_**

**_Silence. Layla stared at Amphitrite, completely taken aback._**

**_"What am I going to do?" she whispered. "If I don't follow the first route, I'll be forced to follow the Androsian tradition. But if I don't follow the second, Valtor will be unstoppable. What should I do?"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 33: THE ADDRESS OF ANDROS

"You witches have disgraced me," Valtor snarled, slamming his fist on the table.

Two weeks had passed since their brutal pumpkin transformation, which Valtor had spent many hours trying to fix. Now they were healed, but Stormy tended to show some pumpkin traits every now and then, complaining about how her skin felt rubbery at times.

"So, what are you going to do?" Icy responded coldly. "Flay us in public? Use one of your spells on us? Show us what a big bad ogre you are?"

"How dare you?" Valtor glared at her. "I should kill you for your insubordination. You are a disgrace to the name of Sekuko."

"How dare you debase _us_?" Icy snarled. "Are you forgetting that it's because of _us _that you're even free?"

"That is irrelevant," Valtor snarled. "You are a disgrace to your foremothers. I know, because I knew them." His tone became darker and bleaker with every second.

"The Winx are getting stronger," he snarled. "They nearly defeated us in the Museum of Magical Artifacts. It's happening all over again, just like it was sixteen years ago. The Company of Light defeated us, and if we continue like this, they will defeat us again."

He turned around and glared at the wall. Sixteen years ago, Belladonna, Tharma, and Liliss Sekuko had been killed in the Dominian War. While they froze the land and imprisoned Marion and Oritel, they were simultaneously murdered by Dominian soldiers. The sight of his mothers' death had haunted Valtor, the memory etched into his brain as he disappeared through the Omega portal.

He'd welcomed his imprisonment with open arms. After all, he had nothing to live for – his mothers were gone, and Domino was now buried under ice. He'd submitted freely to the ice-dragon, letting himself fade as he was frozen to death.

But somehow, he'd survived. Based off of his research, it was apparent that some people _could _survive the icy power of the dragon. Apparently there was some kind of genetic mutation that allowed people such as him to withstand the ice and survive.

Before, Valtor had celebrated his revival as a message, a meaning that he was supposed to be released. But now, he was wondering whether it was truly meant-to-be. It seemed as if he would lose his place, as leader of the world.

"You're whining," Darcy said in surprise.

Valtor stared at her in surprise. _How dare she speak like that? _Icy continued, her voice dismissive.

"This isn't like you," she said. "You're Lord Valtor, soon to rule the whole dimension. And instead of getting up, you stay like _this_?"

Valtor stared at the ground. He knew what Icy was saying was true; he'd never felt so out-of-balance before. Before, the Ancestresses had always guided him, telling him what to do. As much as he'd despised them, he knew they'd made him into the man he was today. But ever since they'd died, he hadn't been the same.

_But I no longer am with the Ancestresses. _He clenched his fists, nearly spitting with rage at the memories of their torture. _I am no longer under their control. And now, I will go out into the world and destroy anyone that gets in my way!_

"You're right," he declared. "It's time to stop whining and start doing. In fact, I'm going on a little trip right now. It's high time these realms knew what power I possess!"

"What about _us_?" Stormy demanded.

"Stay here," Valtor snarled. "I don't want you three causing any more trouble; it's because of _you _we're in this situation in the first place. If I hear that you stepped out of line, you will be dearly punished." He walked away, leaving the three women staring behind him.

He had no idea where he was going to go. _I cannot just go to any realm… I need a plan. _He needed a strong plan, if he had any hope of success.

He knew and deeply respected the theories of Valtor Alexandrov. The man had once been a high-ranking minister to the Zenithian king, until he'd been arrested and sent to Omega. He'd died long ago, but his ideas still lived on.

_Control is the essence of chaos. _If he could take control over the world, he could formulate chaos whichever way he chose. He picked up the Agador Box, gazing into its depths.

He knew and deeply respected the theories of Valtor Alexandrov. The man had singlehandedly created a plague on his own, which would've wiped out the Linphean population had Zenithian authorities not intervened. A foolish move, in Valtor's opinion, but not one that made Alexandrov any less respectable. After all, Valtor had chosen his name, as an inspiration to the man who'd greatly influenced his life.

He clearly saw Zenith, in his mind's eye. A former kingdom, now dictatorship, that was wrought with tensions. One that waged a war against Linphea, in an attempt to unify its own citizens in hatred. All of this made Zenith easily destructible. He smiled.

"Zenith it is," he declared, and held his box in the air. "_Transportus maximus_!"

He disappeared instantly, travelling through void. Using a power that few wizards had the ability to, he soon arrived in Kremniy, the nation's capital.

* * *

The spaceship landed in Alfea. Flora got out, stretching her legs and yawning. _It feels good to be back…_

"Come on," Bloom said, when they'd all stretched. "Let's report to Ms. Faragonda."

They bid the boys farewell and walked into the building. Climbing up the steps, they reached the corridor leading to Faragonda's office. Stella knocked on the door.

Faragonda stuck her head outside of her door, beaming. "I am pleased to see you back, safe and sound! Did you receive the Water Stars?"

"Yes," Bloom said, handing the chest to Faragonda.

Faragonda opened the lid and gazed at the four stars. Each of them twinkled back at her, like ocean jewels.

"Wonderful," she whispered. "This is the greatest act of bravery I have ever seen from an Alfea fairy." She gazed at them. "So tell me, how did the Water Stars come into your possession?"

"Reaching Neró was very difficult," Musa said. "We almost flew right over the edge of the world. It was terrifying, but it turned out there was a hole in the void, which was where Neró was located."

Faragonda had a hand to her mouth. "I did not realize it was so dangerous."

"Well," Stella said, rolling her eyes. "You kinda should've told us, Ms. F. I _am _the heir to a kingdom, you know."

"Anyways," Bloom cut in quickly, "We reached the Shrine. I couldn't get in, because my Enchantix isn't complete, but the others did. They each went through a test, where they had to sacrifice something or someone they loved."

"I saw my mother again," Musa whispered, tears in her eyes. "It was so painful."

"I am sorry." Faragonda stood up. "I put you through too much pain and sacrifice. Because of your abnormal magical strength, I often forget how young you are. Forgive me."

Bloom walked up to the headmistress and put a hand on her arm.

"Don't be sorry, Ms. F," she said. "It was dangerous, but also necessary. The world is hanging by a thread. And as you said, we're the only ones who can do anything about it, so it's our duty to go through these hurdles, no matter how painful."

"All the same, you girls deserve time off," Faragonda answered. "Please, go to Magix and enjoy yourselves. You are excused from class for two weeks."

"All right!" Stella cheered, startling them all. "Let's go shopping, dawlings! We're gonna have a great time!"

* * *

The girls were in Magix, buying dresses. Currently, Bloom and Stella were arguing over the best dress for Bloom to buy. Stella had taken them to none other than Spella McCarthy's Boutique, one of the most exclusive dress-shops in Magix, where each dress cost no less than 1000 Magixian rupees. Back at home, it would cost Flora a year's worth of groceries to even think about spending that kind of money.

"I can't wear that dress," Bloom protested, shaking her head at the navy-blue dress Stella was holding. "It's way too flashy."

"But it looks perfect on you!" Stella cried.

"There's another dress like that," Musa said, pointing to a deep blue dress, "except it's got less shiny stuff on it."

"Attendants!" Stella called.

The Spella McCarthy fashion aides cast a spell on the dress. Immediately, Bloom's clothes were lying on the bench, replaced with the teal satin dress. She stared down at it in amazement.

"I _love _it!" Stella cried out. "It totally suits you, dawling! Sky's gonna love you in this!"

"I wonder how you're paying for all this," Musa said. She was wearing a deep violet velvet dress, one which brought out the blue highlights in her hair perfectly. _Cool colors really look good on Musa… _There was no doubt that Stella knew everything when it came to fashion.

"Don't worry," Stella laughed. "Dad gave me more money in my credit-card, because he felt bad about the whole Cassandra thing. Anyhow, I'm a grown princess and need enough money for my wardrobe." She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Well, 'grown princess' here is getting engaged," Layla said dully. Unlike the other girls, she wasn't getting a dress, because the Androsian dressmakers had already designed one for her. "Yay for me."

"Oh," Flora frowned, sympathy washing over her. She hadn't forgotten why they were here buying dresses, of course. The Address of Andros was coming up on Duodecemensis 21, the fourth Saturday of Duodecemensis, which they were all invited to. Unfortunately, it was also the day her parents were going to announce Layla's engagement. Each day forward cast a heavier weight on Layla, making her grumpier and grumpier.

To make matters worse, none of them had heard a thing from Ophir. After they'd landed, he'd just vanished. A few days had passed, and though Layla had texted him many times, she hadn't received a single response.

"Yeah, about that," Stella said, her hair flicking over her shoulder. "We're not gonna let that happen."

Everyone turned around and stared at her in surprise. "How are we gonna stop it?" Musa demanded. "The Androsian paparazzi knows it's coming! Even though the royal family hasn't confirmed it, it's time for the next engagement to start. It's practically set-in-stone."

"I don't know," Stella answered, "but we're gonna do _something_. We need to stop this from happening!"

"We can't crash it, Stell," Layla answered. "By interfering in another realm's business, you could incur the wrath of Andros on Solaria. _My _parents were furious at me for crashing your dad's wedding, and Cassandra was working for _Valtor_."

"Maybe there's a way we can convince your parents to not go through with this," Bloom said. "We have to do it, before they announce to the world that you're going to get engaged. Once the paparazzi knows, no amount of convincing will stop this thing. But if we work together – we can end it."

"You really think so?" Layla asked.

"I think so," Flora agreed. "After what Valtor's done, even realms like Andros and Eraklyon are starting to question their principles. The people are starting to wonder whether the old social conventions are viable, especially in an age where Alfea students are going on missions previously meant for highly-trained militias. You need to make a case that since you've helped the Magical Dimension so much, even risking your life for the _Water Stars_, that you deserve to make your own choice about who you'll _marry_."

"Make them feel a _lot _of guilt," Musa grinned. "I used to do that all the time when I fought with my dad."

Flora frowned. She didn't think that guilt was the best way to go with anything; her experience in Neró had taught her that much. Then again, her parents' values were far different than that of Layla's.

"You have to be strong, Lay," Stella said firmly. "Show them how much you need to be happy. You're a princess, but you'll rule on your _own _terms. They owe you at least that much."

"You guys don't understand!" Layla put her hands over her face. "I have to uphold millennia upon millennia of tradition! It's not so easy to break off as you guys make it out to be. I just don't know how I'm going to do this!"

"I think I get it, Layla," Mirta said, walking over and placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. She was wearing a deep green dress which contrasted sharply with her pale skin and burgundy hair. "It's not just your parents you have to answer to – it's the entire realm. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do in your skin. I know it's tough to have your parents expect you to be one way, when you aren't."

The other girls looked at her in surprise. "What's going on with your parents?" Bloom asked.

"They asked me about graduation," Mirta answered. "They're booking tickets to come to Magix in a few months' time, and they want to see me graduate from Cloud Tower."

The girls gasped in shock. "Wait, are you serious?" Bloom gasped. "Your parents didn't know you were a fairy _all this time_?"

"I couldn't tell them," Mirta said defensively. "They didn't even care enough about me to ask. And the few times they've written to me, it's been easy to just lie. So, to answer your question: no."

"We've got to think up something," Layla said immediately. "Something that doesn't involve a major fallout."

"We could cast an _oppositus _spell on them!" Stella suggested.

"Tell them there's a case of pixie-cough at Cloud Tower!" Musa added.

"Or maybe you could just tell them the truth."

Everyone stared at Bloom. The fire-fairy was standing next to the wall, her arms crossed.

"Tell them the… _truth_?" Mirta asked in a strangled voice.

"You've kept this a secret from them for way too long," Bloom answered. "It's going to come out at some point, and the way I see it, it's better they hear it from you. If _I _kept this kind of secret, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

"Bloom," Flora said, trying to calm her friends, "I don't think you should" –

"Not everyone's parents are as nice as _yours_!" Mirta snapped, glaring at Bloom. "If you want to know the truth, my parents are living demons!"

"Well, _my _birth parents have been missing for seventeen years!" Bloom yelled back. "Do you know how much I've wished they could be here, so I'd have someone to guide me through this? You _have _your parents to help you, and you don't even bother to talk to them!"

"Guys!" Musa said quickly, jumping in-between them. "Why are we fighting? This is a great day; we have the Water Stars, we're shopping, we're excused from class, and one way or the other, the Androsian engagement isn't gonna happen. Can we all just chill?"

"You're right," Bloom relented. "I'm sorry, Mirta."

"Fine," Mirta said shortly, though Flora could tell she was still hurt.

"Now, for _your _dress, Flo!" Stella called.

They spent the next half-an-hour picking out Flora's dress. Like Bloom, Flora didn't want hers to be too flashy, and settled for a more natural look. She eventually got a yellow-and-peach silk dress with _sona _flowers for her hair, a golden bloom that flourished in Magix.

"This will look perfect," Stella grinned, casting Flora an admiring look.

"What are you getting?" Musa asked.

"But of course!" Stella beamed. "I already picked mine out!"

Flora stared at her in astonishment. "Really?" she asked. Usually, Stella spent more time picking her own dress than the rest of them combined, which made all of them extremely exhausted. Already, Layla and Musa had left the boutique twice to get food and surf on the beach.

"This!" Stella showed her dress to the girls. It was an emerald-green gown with thousands of sequins sewn on, adorned with gold.

"That's… quite something," Flora said truthfully.

"Are we done here?" Musa asked impatiently. "I want to get back to Alfea so I can go out with Riven tonight."

"Fine," Stella sighed, handing her credit-card to the shop attendant.

"Stella, I can pay for it," Layla protested. "It's my engagement-party, so I really should."

"Nonsense, girlfriend," said Stella, who, although appearing shallow at times, was extremely generous when it came to money and clothes. "Let _me _handle this."

She paid for all the clothes. Grinning, Stella handed each of them a bag as they walked out of the store.

* * *

Their vacation wasn't without breaks, though. Flora and Digit were still working hard to open Tecna's laptop, although they still hadn't gotten any farther than before. They had tried just about every rerouting spell they could think of, and yet, nothing had worked.

"We can't give up on this," she told Digit, as she furiously typed on the laptop. "We can't. This could hold so much information that the world needs to know!"

"I don't understand!" Digit said angrily. "Why won't this stupid thing open? We really need to get it to work!"

"Flora?" The Linphean fairy jumped, turning around. Layla was standing in front of them, holding a pot in her hands. "Want some coffee?"

"Thanks, Layla," Flora said gratefully. She and Layla had become much closer over the past months, and had bonded over worries about their respective realms. She wasn't the same as Tecna – no one would ever be – but she was kind and thoughtful in her own ways.

She took a sip of Androsian coffee, surprised at its strong flavor. It made sense – after all, Andros was where coffee had been discovered. She still preferred her Linphean tea any day, but she could definitely see this becoming a staple in their apartment.

"Are you still working on this?" Layla stared at the computer-screen in astonishment. "You haven't been able to figure it out yet?"

"No," Flora sighed. "We haven't been able to figure out anything. It's so frustrating."

"I think you should both stop," Layla advised. "It's really taking over your whole minds. It might be kinder to just let it go."

"Don't say that!" Digit fired up. "I won't rest until I find out why Tecna died! I'm not giving up on her!"

Layla stepped back, startled. Flora laid a hand on the pixie's shoulder, a comforting look in her eyes.

"It's okay," she said, gently. To Layla, she said, "I understand your concerns, but we need to do this. We have to find out what's going on."

Layla's eyes looked pained, but then she nodded. "I understand." Gazing around awkwardly, she asked, "Er… can I sit next to you?"

"Of course!" Flora said in surprise. Layla sat down on the floor, and she passed the laptop over to Digit. "What's up?"

"Well – I, um," Layla said awkwardly, "I don't think I ever apologized for how I treated you that day, when we found out about you and Mirta."

To say the least, Flora was very much taken aback; even Digit stopped typing. The Androsian fairy's eyes watered as she stared at the ground.

"I still have problems with insecurity and all that," she admitted. "When you didn't tell us, I kinda took it personally. I felt that it was because of me that this all happened."

Flora's mouth fell open. "I never knew"…

"I wanted to tell you before the engagement ceremony," Layla continued, a kind of madness in her eyes. "I felt as if it was my fault that you didn't trust me, that it was because of me. And so I projected – what is it called? – homophobia onto you, when I was really mad at myself. I'm so" –

"I wish you'd told me," Flora whispered. "I wish I had known, Layla. You should've told me ages ago."

"I know," Layla said sadly. "Anyways, I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry."

"Layla"… Flora stared at her. She took her friend's hand.

"It's not your fault," she said firmly. "Tecna made her own choice, and so did I. I was scared to tell you guys, because I was insecure, too. But I won't keep these secrets from you guys ever again."

"Thank you," Layla said, her eyes drying. "By the way, I meant to tell you – the other girls are in the potions' lab, trying to activate the Water Stars. Will you guys be done soon?"

"I can come down now," Flora answered. "Digit, I'll meet up with you later."

"Sure thing," Digit muttered as she stared at the screen.

Layla led her down the steps, and they headed to the potions' lab. Stella, Bloom, and Musa were already there, working with the Water Stars.

"Good to see y'all," Musa said, looking up at Flora and Layla. "Got any ideas for us?"

"Here's what we know," Bloom said, placing the Water Stars in a tub of water she'd harvested from Lake Roccaluce. "The Water Stars are the chemical opposite of the Dragon Fire. They were both created at the origin of the universe. And as they'll defeat Valtor's power, we need to harness their energy so that they'll defeat him." She frowned. "How're we going to do that?"

"We could try hitting them with a burst of energy and see what kind of reaction we get," Musa suggested.

"I don't know," Flora frowned. "The Water Stars are extremely powerful. We don't want to create an explosion in the Potions' lab."

"Been there, done that." Stella smiled.

"I agree with Flora," Bloom said. "Actually, I think we need a more personal touch." She picked up the purple-and-orange Water Star, gently holding it in the center. It sparkled, and she gasped in pain.

"Put it down!" Musa shouted.

Bloom dropped the Water Star as if it'd shocked her. "Oww!" She showed them her hand, which was red and swollen.

"That's odd," Layla frowned. "I just touched them a minute ago, and they were fine."

"They're reacting negatively because of Bloom's power source," Flora realized. "They don't like the Dragon Fire. And they're hurting her because of it."

"Bloom." Musa faced the red-haired girl. "I don't think you should be here while we do this. If just touching them caused this, who knows what they could do when they're actually activated?"

"Yeah," Stella agreed. "You should leave right now and go get some healing tonic from Ofelia."

"But we're all the key to defeating Valtor!" Bloom protested. "I can't just _leave _you guys. You already faced the Shrine yourselves!"

"Bloom," Flora whispered, "remember what I told you a few months ago? Avalon said that your fate and Valtor's are linked. I know you want to defeat Valtor and find your birth parents; trust me, I do." She took Bloom's hands. "But what kills Valtor will also kill you."

"You have to promise us you won't intentionally put yourself in danger," Stella added.

Bloom gazed steadily back at them. For a moment, Flora thought she could see a rebellious streak in her roommate's eye, anger at being told to contain her fury. But then she swallowed. "I promise."

"Okay," Musa said. "I vote we leave this for now, and" –

A sudden phone-ring caught them all off-guard. Layla opened her encrypted Androsian phone, staring at it in surprise. "I haven't heard from this thing in ages," she said in confusion, opening her phone.

It was a common practice amongst royals of the Magical Dimension to send their children to school with two separate phones. One of them was encrypted with an incredible amount of security, used for royal business and for them to contact their parents. The other phone was for everyday things, such as contacting friends, so they could live semi-normal lives. Credit-cards and IDs were also issued under pseudonyms, so that the public wouldn't find their identities. Stella's screen-name was Vanilla, and Layla's was Aisha; both of them were pet-names they'd been called as children. Layla let out a sigh, opening the royalty-encrypted phone.

"Her Royal Highness at your service," she said in a flat tone.

"Your Highness!" a voice on the other end cried, presumably that of a servant's. "I'm afraid we have awful news!"

"Aida, what's going on?" Layla gasped, instantly on alert. "Is Andros under attack?"

"Even _worse_," the woman's voice rose to a wail. "Your future fiancée is missing!"

"_What_?" Layla asked in confusion. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"He was supposed to arrive at the royal palace today, but he never came," Aida sobbed. "Apparently he's been missing for quite some time, but his parents were covering it up and trying to get him back home. They're going crazy looking for him. Oh, this is madness!"

"Wait a minute," Layla said, slowly. "So if they don't find him by this Saturday, I'm not going to get engaged?"

"It's heartbreaking, isn't it?" Aida asked tearfully. "It's every princess's _dream _to get swept up by a handsome young man! Isn't it so _tragic _your engagement will be delayed?"

"Yeah, so tragic," Layla said, unable to keep a straight face. "Look, Aida, I've gotta go now and do some stuff, but update me later, 'kay?" The second she turned off her phone, everyone burst into laughter.

"_Gone missing_?" Musa laughed. "More like _totally freaked out_!"

"He's probably terrified of you, Layla," Bloom grinned.

"I guess even 'millennia upon millennia' of tradition has its limits," Stella said smugly. "More specifically, a runaway groom."

"That's hilarious." Flora wiped the tears away from her eyes. "I can't _wait _to tell Mirta. She'll totally get a kick out of this one."

* * *

Icy frowned, glaring at the table. She concentrated on her map, closing her eyes as she focused on her plan.

She wasn't surprised that Valtor had ditched them. In fact, she could see the signs, exactly the same with the Shadow Phoenix. He'd slowly cut off contact with them, and then ditched them entirely. Their loss of connection with Valtor seemed imminent.

But she wasn't going to let him take over them. In fact, she had a plan.

"Sisters," Icy said. "We have a problem."

The other two witches frowned. "Is it Valtor?" Stormy asked.

"_Obviously_," Icy said, rolling her eyes at her dim-witted sister. "Valtor is going to take over the entire world. And that includes us. We'd better come up with a plan – and fast."

"What are we going to do?" Darcy asked, her fists clenched.

"We're going to pretend to go along with him," Icy said. "Right now, he's headed to Zenith to take over that pathetic realm. While he's there, we have a mission to accomplish."

"What is it?" Stormy asked eagerly.

"Well, Valtor will be gone for a week or so," Icy said, "which means we need time to collect intel. We'll first sneak into Zenith and figure out what's going on there. Then, we're going to go to Omega to find Valtor's criminal records."

"So are we going to take the spaceship?" Stormy asked, looking at the tiny shuttle which they'd stolen from Andros.

"Yes, but we much be quick," Icy said. "Which means we have to leave now."

"All right, then," Darcy said. "We have no time to lose."

Icy smiled as she followed her sisters into the shuttle, and Darcy turned the engine on. _Valtor's so gonna regret what he's done… _Then the shuttle lifted into the air, and they were off.

* * *

"Umi! Baba!"

Flora smiled as Layla ran up to her parents, throwing her arms around them. The king and queen smiled, delighted to see their daughter again.

"We're so proud of you, Layla," Queen Niobe said, smiling down at Layla. "You've grown so much."

"Thank you for looking after her these last two years," King Teredor said fondly to the girls.

_I'm just happy we could help_, Flora thought as Layla drew back from her parents.

"So," she said, her voice light and happy, "I, for one, am relieved that Faceless isn't here."

The king frowned, gazing at the girls and Specialists; evidently, he didn't expect that they were privy to royal secrets. "Layla," he said, sternly, but the princess glared up at him.

"I'm sorry," she snapped, "but I don't want to get engaged, okay? You know that just as well as I! And I wish you would start treating me like an _adult_, especially after my friends and I received the Water Stars!"

"I know how you feel about this, Layla," her father said sadly. "But we need to uphold tradition."

"Don't even _mention_ betrothal for another twenty years," Layla said coldly. "I have my whole _life _ahead of me, a good three-hundred years at the least. I can afford to wait. If I focus my energy on the kingdom instead of marriage, I'll be able to help bring us back to prosperity! Why do we have to follow" –

"Your Majesty," a voice called. A sentry stood in front of the door, his voice grim. "There is someone here to see you."

Two guards dragged in a man dressed in a white embroidered tunic and red _kurta _pants, followed by a man and woman who looked remarkably alike him. Although his clothes were ornate, there was no mistaking his square face and the iconic braid down his back. Flora let out a gasp.

Immediately, Layla stormed up to him and glared down at him, her hands on her hips.

"Where have you _been_?" she demanded. "You haven't responded to my texts for a _week_! _Why _have you been ignoring me all this time? Why did you disappear immediately after we went to Neró? Why did you" –

She froze as soon as her mother let out a gasp. Everyone was staring at her, an alarmed expression on their faces. "You _know _him?" her father cried.

"Yeah," Layla said impatiently. "He, like, stalked me in Magix, and then totally screwed up and made us lose to Valtor. He also saved our lives when we were about to fly off the edge of the world in Neró."

"For Marinus's sake!" the man behind Ophir – his father – snapped. "You mean to tell us you spied on the princess of Andros at her _school_? This is not how we raised you, Nabu!" They shouted at him angrily, switching to Androsian to scold him harshly.

Flora turned back to her friends, who all had stunned expressions on their faces. Staring up at Ophir, Layla whispered, "You're" –

"Yes," he admitted. "I'm the one you're supposed to marry."

Dead silence. There wasn't a single word in the hall.

"Why did you lie to me?" Layla demanded. "Why did you pretend you were someone you were not?"

"Pretend to be someone I wasn't?" Nabu laughed bitterly. "That day I spent with you was the best of my life. I was able to show my true self, instead of stifling my feelings." He shot a cool glare at his parents. "I was able to joke and laugh and have fun, rather than being isolated all my childhood. I wish I could've spent more time with you, but then I received word that our guards were searching for me, and I had to leave."

"I had fun spending time with you, too," Layla admitted. "You made me realize that not all boys are total scumbags. But – why did you spy on me in the first place?"

"I wanted to know who you were," Nabu said. "I thought that, being a princess and all, you'd just be a prissy girl with no fun. But then I saw you in _real _life, and you were just – well, _awesome_. You totally knew how to kick butt, and kick it in style – and you never let people treat you badly, either. I really admire those qualities in you, Layla. And the fact that you got those Water Stars was just amazing beyond relief."

Now Flora saw Layla blush, and wondered if she felt something more towards Nabu – something more than just friendship. But then she smiled up at him, asking, "Friends?"

"Friends," he nodded. The two grinned at each other once, and Layla turned towards her parents.

"Release us from this," she said. "We don't want to have to live our lives forced to each other, especially when we're not ready. The Magical Dimension is changing, and so are we."

Flora saw the king and queen hesitate. Nabu's parents looked worried. Then the king finally nodded, a smile on his face.

"You're right, Layla," he said. To Nabu's family, he said, "I'm sure your son will be an important part of my daughter's life now, and we are all very happy with him. Thank you for bringing him to us." He let out a sigh. "Now, I believe it's time for our preparations to start."

Looking not too happy, Nabu's parents walked off. A group of female and male servants, respectively, walked up to the girls and boys.

"Come," they said. "We'll help you dress and prepare."

After that, there wasn't a single moment to sit still. The maids helped the girls apply essential oils and potions, did their makeup, washed their hair, and fit on the dresses. The next few hours were some of the most exhausting of Flora's life, especially since she wasn't used to anyone dressing her.

Finally, they were ushered to the gallery for special-guests, which they sat. There were five galleries; one for the nobility, one for the government-officials, one for the merfolk royalty and nobility, one for the press, and one for the special-guests. There was also a section for the commoners to watch, but from what Flora could tell, it was hard to get into those. She stared up at the beautiful stage, which was decked out in sea-blue and bronze, the colors of Andros.

Many people made speeches that evening. Flora saw President Salim Omar, the head-of-government; Congressman Faizan Rahman, the Speaker of the House of Commons; Lord Hafiz Jabal, the Speaker of the House of Nobles; and King Neptune, the monarch of the merkingdom. All of them spoke Androsian, a language she had absolutely no fluency in. Although she was given a transcript, transcribed in the Common Tongue, she soon found herself bored, though tried her best to be attentive. Musa understood a bit of Androsian, so she was the only one who looked mildly interested.

Then Layla went up to speak, and Flora's eyes snapped open. She scrambled to find her program, reading the Common Tongue transcription as Layla spoke.

"Greetings, citizens of Andros, in this day of celebration. Over the past few months, the great realm of Andros has been attacked by the merciless wizard Valtor, whose cruelty knows no bounds. He besieged this realm with hurricanes and tornadoes, even using elemental possession to place our citizens under his influence. Despite all of this, we have prevailed. We have restored Andros back to her former glory, preventing the hurricanes and foul storms from destroying us.

"I know that many of you are scared. After all, so many of you have been personally affected by the crisis at hand, and are terrified because we still have not been able to recover our relics. However, I know that this is not over. We will do everything in our power to defeat this tyrant, and make sure that he does not win. He _will _not win, for we are far too strong. I pledge to you, as princess of Andros, that I will never let him get in our way." She lifted her hands. "We shall not let ourselves fall!"

A resounding cheer shot across the galleries. Flora saw Tressa and her family cheering at Layla's words, and Nabu grinning from the gallery of the nobles. The people let out a riotous shout, pumping their fists in the air. Layla smiled down at her people, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

_She's right. _A warm feeling settled in Flora's chest as she gazed at her friends. _We will not let ourselves fall._

* * *

"That was the most relaxing vacation ever!" Stella exclaimed as the ship zoomed towards Alfea.

Flora smiled. A week had passed since the Address of Andros. The girls, true to Faragonda's wish, had spent their time relaxing and recuperating from their mission to find the Water Stars. Andros had fully recovered from the hurricanes, and was home to the most beautiful tropical environment Flora had ever seen.

The royal family's private island, Dhat-Badan, was exceptionally stunning. The sparkling, turquoise waters were incredibly warm, and Layla showed off all of her swimming moves. The soft white sand was heaven against their skin as they lay into it; many an hour Stella spent lying in the sand with Brandon, no matter how many times Musa splashed her with water. And then there was the beautiful green vegetation with pristine flowers, which Flora, Bloom, and Mirta spent their time exploring. At night, they all slept in a cottage overlooking the sea, the waves lapping against the shore.

The best part about the vacation, in Flora's opinion, was that there had been no access to technology. There was zero cell-service on the island, which no one seemed to mind. Completely at their own leisure, they'd gotten to relax with the Androsian royal-family, with no schoolwork, battles, or anything to worry about.

"At least we don't have to head back to class yet," Brandon said. "Winter break starts today, and we only have to go back on Unimensis 5. We're just gonna go home for the week, I guess."

Flora wasn't sure she could make it home. The flights were expensive, which meant that she only went home for the four-week autumn break between semesters and the two-month spring break between years; during the winter break, she stayed at school. She would've stayed on Dhat-Badan, but then she would've had to take her own flight back to Magix. In any case, it was always better to travel with friends.

The ship had now penetrated through the atmosphere of Magix, and they were now approaching lower to the ground. It was evening, and Flora saw Magix City starting to light up as they zoomed towards Alfea.

"Hang on – what's going on?" Musa pointed down towards Roccaluce Forest. Flora stared down.

There was a huge complex under-construction near Alfea, something that looked oddly like a hospital. Nurses and doctors were running in and out of it, carrying people in stretchers inside. _Why do they need such a big – what's going on? _She looked out the right window, and gasped.

The tower with the headmistress's office was destroyed, covered in soot and mud. Splintered glass lay everywhere, and the buildings were nearly crumbling to the ground. In the quad, girls were staring up at their beloved castle, sobbing in shock and terror.

"Oh no," Bloom whispered.

* * *

**Here we go… Doesn't look good for the girls, does it? On the plus side, Layla's engagement is broken, so yay! Thankfully we don't have to deal with that anymore.**

**Next chapter:**

– **The Trix fly to Omega to find information on Valtor.**

– **Tecna and Cyros run into the Trix.**

**See you soon!**


	37. Chapter 34: Ambush on Omega

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Tecna thought she could hear a crack behind her, some kind of rumble. She turned around._**

**_And froze as soon as she saw what was ahead of her._**

**_An ice-dragon was flying towards her, its face monstrous. It roared at the terrified girl, nothing but anger in its depths. It let out a frosty breath, sending out spears of ice._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Sisters," Icy said. "We have a problem."_**

**_The other two witches frowned. "Is it Valtor?" Stormy asked._**

**_"Obviously," Icy said, rolling her eyes. "Valtor is going to take us. We'd better come up with a plan – and fast."_**

**_"What're we going to do?" Darcy asked, her fists clenched._**

**_"We'll pretend to go along with him," Icy said. "Right now, he's headed to Zenith on conquest. While he's there, we have a mission to accomplish."_**

**_"What is it?" Stormy asked eagerly._**

**_"Valtor will be gone for a week or so," Icy said, "which gives us time to collect intel. We'll first sneak into Zenith and figure out what's going on there. Then, we're going to go to Omega to find Valtor's criminal records."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"When Basan found that he was the son of King Ludwig," explained Faragonda, "he staged a coup on King Oritel. His charisma and charm convinced many peasants, and even a few nobles, that his brother was weak and useless. With their help, he was able to storm the Palace of Domino._**

**_"The Civil War of Domino, from Year 922-940, was one of the longest and deadliest wars Domino had ever seen. Basan was defeated, but at a high price; Oritel had lost six hundred thousand men, as well as the faith of his people."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ "Don't leave me, Sestra!" Cyros cried. "Don't leave me alone!"_**

**_ "You brought this on yourself," Tecna snarled, storming out of the library._**

**_ She had no idea how she was going to get out of Omega, but she was going to do it. filled with anger, she stormed forward, determination in her heart._**

**I'll bring Vasiliev down.**

* * *

CHAPTER 34: AMBUSH ON OMEGA

Tecna glared down at the surface of the water in front of her, slamming it with a digital ray. Not caring how loud she was, she zapped a fish in the water, picking it up with a digital net.

A week had passed since her fight with Cyros. The foolish prince was still refusing to do anything, and spent most of the time now in tears. She found she could no longer talk to him; she was too angry with him to have anything to do with him now.

_I can't believe he would do this. _She gazed angrily into the pond. _I can't believe he won't fulfill his duty!_

She just couldn't understand. Here was a realm that he'd once lived in, which was now a complete dictatorship. He was the one person who could save her people from destruction; yet, he refused to do anything. _He's just a boy… a stupid, annoying little brat… _She closed her eyes.

_I will find a way out of here. _Determination coursed through her, and she stood up. _I _have _to. There's no other way._

But it was proving to be impossible. She'd gone back to the library several times, trying to find information about building a spaceship, but had been unable to. Frustrated, she'd slammed the books on the shelves with a hex, storming out of the room.

_Mother, Father. _Tears fell from her eyes into the water. _Please, don't let anything have happened to you in my absence. Please let my friends be okay. Please, please let everyone be all right._

She lifted her head and rubbed the tears angrily from her face. _Enough feeling sorry for myself. It's time to work. _She stood up, but then froze as soon as she saw who was ahead of her.

Icy, Darcy, and Stormy were in front of her, mounted atop three ice-dragons. Tecna backed up in terror, rubbing her eyes as she stared at them. _How'd _they _get here… this has got to be a hallucination… _She focused her scanner on them.

WHISPERIAN WITCHES, the scanner read back. OMEGAN ICE-DRAGONS. HIGHLY DANGEROUS. SEEK CAUTION.

_I don't know what I'm going to do. _Tecna fought waves of fear as she stared up at the witches. Icy smiled and nodded to her sisters.

"There she is." She smirked down at Tecna, her dragon roaring in assent. "Good work, team."

* * *

_An hour earlier_

Icy smiled as she stroked the walls of the ice around her. _Home sweet home… _She still remembered her time here, months ago, when she'd freed Valtor and they'd broken into Melody.

She'd been sad to leave Omega, even though the ice dragons weren't exactly her best friends. But now she was here again, and on a mission, nonetheless. _We're gonna find out exactly what that big bad boy is up to._

"How exactly are we going to find the library?" Stormy complained.

"Quit your whining," Icy said shortly. "I downloaded a map on my digiscreen." She showed the other witches her tablet, with a complete map of Omega downloaded on it.

"We have to go west," Darcy said, taking the map. "Come on." She flew down into the icy abyss, Icy and Stormy following her.

They entered a cavern made entirely out of ice. Stormy and Darcy shivered from the chill, but Icy enjoyed it. A natural cold-weather lover, this satiated her desire for the chill. While her sisters had needed to wear layers upon layers of clothing, she simply wore her normal suit. Now they were headed to the west, with nothing in their way…

A loud roar filled the cavern. Startled, Icy stopped and stared behind her. Darcy and Stormy also stopped, looking terrified.

An ice dragon zoomed towards them, its mouth opening wide. It began to breathe, sending frost through its mouth.

"Run!" Stormy yelled, diving out of the way.

But Icy stayed put. She deflected the ice dragon's breath with a blow, slamming it with a spell. The ice dragon fell to the ground, temporarily knocked out.

"Hold it, you idiots," she said coolly to her sisters. "That thing's not even the chief Ice Dragon. It's older, smaller, and feebler."

"And also unbeatable," Stormy muttered.

"Oh, please," Icy rolled her eyes. "As anyone with a brain knows, 'unbeatable' has its limits. With our new powers, this is gonna be easy."

"So what do you want us to do?" Darcy asked, viewing the dragon with interest.

"Control the thing," Icy answered. "Use your psychic powers and make it come under our control. Is that clear?"

"Okay," Darcy said nervously. "I don't know if I can, Ice. Like Stormy said, that thing's awfully powerful."

"I just defeated it with one blow," Icy snapped. "If I could shove it to the ground, you can control it. You'd better get a move on, Darce, before that thing wakes up and blows you into icicle bits."

Darcy's teeth chattered nervously. Icy sighed, and stood up.

"Come on, Storm," she said. "We've got some intelligence to find."

The two witches flew down the corridor, heading towards the library. They followed the map until they reached a passageway. They reached a door, with a digital padlock.

Icy frowned as she examined the digital padlock. It was broken, lying on the floor. She pushed the door slightly, and it opened.

"Someone's been here before," she said.

The two of them walked through the door, gasping at the sight before them. Books were strewn on the floor, half-open and broken. _Some serious fight went on here… _She stared, taken aback.

"Who would do that?" Stormy asked.

"Let's just see if we can find the information we need," Icy finally said, walking down the corridor. Stormy followed.

She frowned as she saw two books lying open on the floor. _What is this… _She picked up one, and Stormy picked up the other.

"I don't understand," Stormy said in confusion. "This is just about some guy named Basan."

"Hang on." Icy frowned as she gazed at _Criminals of the Age of Blood: 15500-16012_. "_This _book is about a man named Valtor, but not the same Valtor. This man was arrested for biological warfare."

"Great," Stormy said dully. "My book is just detailing some guy called Basan."

"Give me that." Icy snatched _Criminals of the Age of Unity: 500-1000_. She opened it, staring at the book in front of her.

Name: Basan Yakunan

Birth Realm: Whisperia

Age at Incarceration: 184

Year of Incarceration: 996

"Huh," Icy muttered to herself. "That's the exact same year as the Dominian War."

Description:

Resistant at arrest. While Ancestresses were destroying Domino, was thrown into a portal by King Oritel. Watched the death of the Ancestresses and destruction of Domino while disappearing into the portal.

"This guy fought in the Dominian War," Stormy realized. "But – who _is _he?"

Incarceration Ordered By: King Oritel von Domino

Additional Notes:

The half-brother of King Oritel, raised by the Ancestresses. Tried claiming legitimacy to the throne in the Dominian Civil War, but failed. Evaded capture for over a century.

Icy drew in a breath. _Basan… _"This _is _Valtor," she breathed.

"What?" Stormy stared at Icy.

"Don't you see?" Icy snapped. "Valtor told us he's the half-brother of Oritel and was raised by the Ancestresses. This _is _him. I can't believe we didn't figure this out before."

"So, what's he doing?" Stormy stared at the book.

"He's named himself after this man who attempted to create a plague and send it to Linphea." Icy frowned at the book. "There's something more going on here that we don't know about."

"So what will we do?" Stormy asked.

"Let's go back," Icy answered, "and then we'll go with Valtor to Zenith. We need to find some more answers. Come on, let's go get Darce and" –

A crash sounded behind them. Turning around, Icy saw Darcy, running into the library, tailed by three ice dragons.

"I managed to get a whole army of them under my control," she grinned, stepping forward. "And that's not all." She leaned forward. "That Tecna girl is alive!"

Icy gasped in horror. "How'd you know?" she demanded.

"I saw her," Darcy answered grimly. "She was wandering around here, trying to fish. She didn't see me, but I saw her. We've got to go and find her!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Icy asked. "Let's hop on!" She climbed onto her dragon, turning it towards the exit.

_We're gonna find that girl. _A cruel smile appeared on her face, and she turned around. "Let's get her."

* * *

_Present-time_

Tecna backed up in fear and stared up at the witches. "How'd you know I was here?" she whispered.

"Darcy saw you," Icy sniggered. "Plus, your library had a lot of information."

Tecna could've hit herself. _Why didn't I lock the door? _She glared up at the witches and held her hands together.

"I'm not giving up without a fight," she snarled, and then she transformed.

Instantly, Darcy and Icy charged forwards her, the dragons opening their mouths. Tecna narrowly dodged an icy bolt, terrified as she flew down the corridor.

"Ooh, this should be fun!" Stormy grinned, steering her dragon towards Tecna.

_Stop being scared! _Tecna told herself furiously. _You can beat them, you _have _to… _But she knew she had no chance of winning. These witches were far too powerful.

"Not so brave without your little friends with you, are you?" Icy sneered, slamming Tecna with a bolt of ice.

Tecna cried out, falling to the ground. _No… she can't have me… _Darcy grinned, and then her dragon let out a blast of ice.

But Tecna rolled out of the way, narrowly missing the attack. She sat up, grimacing as the three witches faced her, smiles on their faces. _I'm not giving up. _She flew into the air, hovering over the three of them.

"This isn't over," she snarled. Creating a digital web, she spun and flew around in circles, hovering over the witches.

She could hear the witches' frustrated snarls as they shot hexes at her, narrowly missing her every time she spun around. _They won't win… I _can't _let them win. _She let the net loose, and smirked as she saw it fall down.

The three witches spit in rage as the nets bound the dragons' mouths, preventing them from breathing ice. Tecna faced the witches, her hands high in the air.

"You don't want the dragons, then?" Icy lifted her hands in the air. "Fine. This is a more fitting fight, anyways." Stormy shot a lightning-bolt at Tecna, which Tecna briefly ducked, flying farther down the cavern.

_I can't keep escaping them forever… _Sooner or later, she was going to have to face them head-on, which she didn't know if she was capable of. Although she'd recovered from much of her illness while at Alfea, she was still out of practice when it came to sparring. In addition, the harsh Omega ice was draining her energy, even though she came from a realm that spent most of the year in snow.

"Argh!" she yelled, turning around and shooting a static sphere at Stormy. The witch, surprised by the attack, fell to the ground.

"Stormy, you idiot!" Icy snarled at her. "Get back up here!" She shot an icy hex at Tecna.

But Tecna deflected it back with a computerized shield. Icy gasped as she was shot back into the wall, letting out a growl of frustration.

"We're not breaking her," Darcy snarled. "This isn't working, Ice."

"We _will _break her, all right!" Icy snapped. "I'm not returning back without" –

"What's going on?" a boy's sleepy voice called. Tecna turned around in horror, and saw Cyros walking towards them, his eyes confused and surprised.

"Cyros!" she shouted. "Don't come here! Get out of here, now!"

"Who's _this_?" Icy hovered over the boy, observing him with interest. "What kind of pipsqueak is he, anyways?"

"Don't you dare, Icy!" Tecna snarled. "Don't you dare! Leave him alone!"

"Hey, you're the bad guys _Sestra _told me about, aren't you?" Cyros backed up in fear. "I've heard about you guys. What are you doing with my _Sestra_?"

"We're taking her with us," Icy smiled. "Though she's refusing to cooperate. We might just kill her on the spot."

"Don't hurt her!" Cyros cried. "She's my best friend! The world will suffer without her!" He began to sob.

"So _this _is the kind of loser you make friends with," Darcy sniggered. "Pathetic."

"Cyros, get out of here!" Tecna yelled. She had no patience for Cyros's feelings – as angry as she still was with him, she didn't want him to get hurt. "Leave right now!"

"You're a really bad person!" Cyros glared at Icy. "Don't you see? My _Sestra_'s stopping this bad guy from making a disease to spread to Linpheans! And you're making this so horrible!"

"_What_?" Icy stared at him in shock. "They're doing _what _exactly?"

"Enough!" Tecna yelled, slamming Icy with a digital ray. Icy was shoved back into the wall, gasping in shock. Tecna grabbed Cyros roughly, pulling him with her.

"Let's go!" she yelled.

Cyros cried out as Tecna pulled him along with her, flying into the air. "You _do_ know you have a fairy-form, right?" she yelled.

"I can't!" Cyros wailed. "I've never transformed before!"

"Well, now's as good a time as ever!" Tecna snarled. "We have to get out of here!"

"No, you're staying right here!" Something frozen hit Tecna in the back. She screamed as she fell, Cyros yelling in shock. She hit solid ice, pain shooting through her entire body.

For a second, she couldn't move. Then she gazed up, and saw what had happened. Her entire body shook as she stared forward.

Cyros was frozen to the wall, ice from his neck to his feet. He looked petrified as he stared at Icy, crying out. A roar sounded behind them, and Icy smiled.

Tecna didn't have to turn around to know that the dragons were behind.

"Now," Icy smiled, walking forward. "You are going to tell us exactly what this disease is all about."

_Don't do it… _Tecna tried to pull herself up, but pain shot through her limbs. _I'm too weak… _She stared up at the boy in the ice, who whimpered.

"No," she whispered.

"Maybe you'll talk on our way up." Icy nodded to her sisters. "Get the dragons and load these two on them. We're headed to the spaceship now."

Tecna stared as Icy undid the ice wall, handcuffing Cyros. _No, no, no… _She wanted to stop them, but knew she couldn't. There were just too many of them, too many obstacles in the way.

_There's only one thing left to do… _She lowered her head as Darcy and Stormy came to her, roughly pulling her up. Opening her eyes, she looked up at Icy weakly and said, "Please, stop."

"You're not exactly in a position to bargain, if you want to know," Icy laughed.

"No, please." Tecna felt waves of nausea come over her, but forced the bile down. "I have something to trade."

"Oh?" Darcy raised an eyebrow. "What is it? We're not interested in your fairy-dust, if you want to know."

"Let him go," Tecna pleaded. She knew she couldn't let them take Cyros and subject him to their torture. _I won't let them hurt him… he's just a little boy, after all… _She stared up at the boy, whose face was distraught and terrified.

"I don't think you understand the meaning of the word 'trade'," Icy sneered, as Darcy and Stormy burst into laughter. "You have to _give _me something."

_This is it… this is where it ends… _Tecna remembered her bravado last week, how she'd been determined to put an end to Vasiliev and his disease. But now she knew it was futile. _I have no choice. _She lowered her head.

"I surrender," she said. "Let him go, and I will come freely with you. Please."

From behind she heard Cyros shout, "_Sestra_!"

"Hmm"… Icy narrowed her eyes and looked at her sisters. "What do you think?"

"Yeah, I think so," Stormy agreed.

"The kid's useless," Darcy added, throwing him a disdainful look. "She's more important than him."

"Fine, then." Icy dropped Cyros and the handcuffs melted. "Let's go." She climbed on her dragon, steering it into the sky.

Tecna sat on Stormy's dragon, feeling the lighting-witch's painful grasp. Behind her she could hear Cyros crying, but couldn't even muster the energy to say goodbye. _I'm sorry… _She gazed forward.

She knew she had failed the world. She had allowed the Trix to win, and possibly Valtor, too. Now they knew about the disease. _This can't be happening… _The world's worst nightmare was about to unleash.

_But I won't let them win. _She clenched her fists. _I'll do everything in my power to stop the disease from unfolding. I _won't _give them the information they want. _She stared at the sky.

The fight wasn't over yet. Not by a long, long shot. In fact, as she sat atop the dragon, heading out of Omega, she knew it was only the beginning.

* * *

**Next chapter:**

\- **The girls see the condition of Alfea.**

\- **They are sent on a mission to Valtor's next location, with the intent of defeating him for once and for all.**


	38. Chapter 35: The City of Trees

**Hello, everyone! I know I haven't posted in over a week, and I apologize for that. I've had some reworking to do, which has made me go on hiatus for some time. I have an announcement at the bottom of the chapter, which I'll make soon.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"I faced both of your parents on Domino, sixteen years ago," Valtor said silkily. "I first trapped Miriam with a spell I'd learned on Eraklyon, concealing her in a rock prison. Of course my foolish brother came to her rescue, just as I knew he would. Oritel was very powerful; I could never have defeated him unless he'd lowered his guard to save his wife. And while he used his magic to save Miriam, I used mine to destroy them for once and for all."_**

**_Flora could feel Bloom's magical energy bursting with anger. She listened with fear, knowing this couldn't end well._**

**_"And that's how it ended for both of them," Valtor said, and Flora could hear his smile. "Oritel and Miriam, the great king and queen of Domino. I'm so glad we could share this talk."_**

**_Bloom exploded. An immense dragon soared out, a power surely meant to kill. The room seared with the heat of a thousand wildfires, and Flora drew back in horror._**

**_But just like that, the room became ice-cold. Valtor simply deflected her fire and froze her with an ice-spell, letting out a charred, bitter laugh._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"My fellow citizens," the monarch said, "yesterday is a day that shall forever live in infamy. On Decemensis 16, 1012, the Queendom of Linphea was suddenly yet deliberately attacked by Zenith, in a move that was clearly unprovoked. It is with great sorrow that I announce, as Queen of this country, that Linphea will go to war."_**

**So it's official, then****_, Flora thought. _****This war may not end for years… decades, even… My sister will have to grow up in a country torn with war… I'm so sorry, Miele…**

_**-o-o-o-**_

**_"You're whining," Darcy said in surprise._**

**_Valtor stared at her in surprise. Icy continued, her voice dismissive._**

**_"This isn't like you," she said. "You're Lord Valtor, soon to rule the whole dimension. And instead of getting up, you stay like this?"_**

**_Valtor stared at the ground. Before, the Ancestresses had always guided him, telling him what to do. _****But I no longer am with the Ancestresses. And now, I will go out into the world and destroy anyone that gets in my way!**

**_"You're right," he declared. "It's time to stop whining and start doing. In fact, I'm going on a little trip right now. It's high time these realms knew what power I possess!" He walked away, leaving the three women staring behind him._**

**_He clearly saw Zenith, in his mind's eye. A former kingdom, now dictatorship, that was wrought with tensions. One that waged a war against Linphea, in an attempt to unify its own citizens in hatred. All of this made Zenith easily destructible. He smiled._**

**_"Zenith it is," he declared, and held his box in the air. "Transportus maximus!"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 35: THE CITY OF TREES

The ship landed on the tarmac in front of Alfea. As soon as the ship's door opened, the Winx ran onto the quad, staring at their school in shock.

"What's happened?" Bloom demanded. "Who did this to Alfea?"

"_There _you are!" Faragonda was running towards them, her normally calm composure completely gone.

"We have been trying to reach you for two days!" Griselda shouted. Her eyes were narrowed as she glared at the Winx. "You shouldn't be here!"

"Why not?" Musa asked.

"Five days ago, Valtor took over Zenith," Faragonda answered breathlessly. "He and the Trix marched on Magix just yesterday. They are now in retreat, but we were badly hurt in the fight."

"_What_?" gasped Layla in shock. "He took over an entire realm, and nobody thought to tell us?"

"All Zenithian media and Web access was cut off five days ago," Faragonda answered. "He came in yesterday, announcing that he was Emperor of Zenith, and that he would take our realm next. Fortunately, he didn't come anywhere near close to defeating Magix; the UR forces drove him out."

"Wait a minute." Stella stared at Faragonda. "So there's no real damage done on Magix? In that case, fixing that tower should be a piece of cake! It's not like they took anything of" –

"The Trix and Valtor have Alfea's spells."

It only took Flora a second to process what Faragonda had just said. "_No_."

"Where are they right now?" Musa demanded.

"After we defeated them, they turned right around and retreated," Faragonda answered. "Despite all of their spells, they were not powerful enough to take Magix's. They _do_, however, have the power to take over lesser realms. In fact, the realm they went to has been weakened by months of war, and has had much of its flora and fauna destroyed. I believe you know which realm I am talking about."

"Linphea," Flora breathed, her legs giving way as she sank to the ground.

_No_, she thought wildly. _I can't – I can't believe this is happening!_

"Queen Isabel of Linphea messaged me a few hours ago," Faragonda added. "She says that the Zenithian army is marching on Linphea."

"We're going!" Flora cried. "We have to stop Linphea from absolute devastation!"

"This is the final stand." Faragonda faced the girls solemnly. "You have to end this war right now. Do you see, girls? One realm has fallen under Valtor's control, and another is soon to follow. You must stop this for once and for all. And I truly believe you are the only people who can do anything about it."

"Then we'll end this war." Bloom's eyes were on fire. "We're going to Linphea!"

* * *

The Winx, Specialists, and Mirta boarded the ship once again, gazing nervously around at each other. Riven pressed a control, and it shot up into the air, zooming towards the sky.

For a long time, no one spoke. Then Flora felt Mirta's hand touch hers, and she gazed at her girlfriend, who had a gentle, soothing expression on her face. She leaned forward.

"I promise you, Flora," she said, "everything is going to be okay."

Flora couldn't see how Mirta could be so willing to promise something they had no control over. _I don't know how my realm will ever be okay. _Or her family, for that matter – whom she hadn't heard from since a week after the start of the war.

At the same time, she knew she had to try. She had to do something to save her homeworld and bring Linphea back to life. _Even though it looks near impossible… _She lowered her head.

"So, what's our plan?" Riven asked, interrupting Flora's thoughts.

"We're first landing at the City of Trees," Layla said. "According to Faragonda, the Zenithian army is marching on Linphea's capital. If we don't get there soon, it'll be all over."

"And then what?" Brandon asked.

"We go talk to the Queen of Linphea," Flora declared. "We'll tell her that Faragonda sent us, and that we're here to defeat the Trix and Valtor. For once and for all."

"So, once we land on Linphea, we have to let you go and take out the witches and Valtor," Sky said. "But how are you going to do that?"

"Bloom is the key here," Stella answered. "She can track Valtor down, using their connected Dragon Flame. And wherever Valtor is, the Trix can't be far behind."

"Then we'll destroy him for once and for all, with the Water Stars," Bloom declared.

"Not the Water Stars," Sky said firmly. "Those should only ever be used as a last-resort. Besides, Bloom, I don't want you getting hurt."

"The whole Magical Dimension will fall if we don't do something!" Bloom protested.

"We'll have to face him head-on," Musa answered. "Using what we learned in Enchantix Class. It's the only way."

"You know, one thing doesn't make sense," Riven said, his arms crossed.

"What is it?" Musa asked.

"It doesn't make sense that Valtor would first march on Zenith," Riven said. "Why wouldn't he start with a weaker realm, such as Linphea, and then slowly build up his array of conquered realms? And this is _Valtor _of all people we're talking about. He usually makes calculated moves, not amateur blunders!"

"This doesn't look like an amateur blunder to me," Stella answered. "He still took over Zenith!"

"But he can't keep up this streak for long," Sky answered. "He tried to take over _Magix_, arguably the most powerful realm of all realms! What is with him?"

"He must be impatient," Layla suggested. "He's been badly beaten a few times, and now he's determined to take action, no matter what the cost."

"And that's important for us to know," Sky agreed. "At the same time, that makes him all the more dangerous."

They spent the next few hours silently sitting next to one another, barely talking. Mirta sat down next to Flora, leaning into her side. She took Flora's hand.

"I know you're worried," she said. "But I want you to believe in yourself and defend Linphea with the best of your ability. The world needs you; you can't back down now."

"But I don't know if I can save Linphea," Flora whispered. "If Valtor and the Trix are there, with so many weapons, how are we going to manage?"

"We _will _prevail." Mirta's gaze was firm. "You have to believe in yourself, Flora. You have to trust that you can save your realm!"

Flora sighed. _I know she's right. _But somehow, she couldn't quell the worry in her heart. Gazing down at the realm below her, she let out a gasp.

They were approaching the capital city of Linphea; Flora cried out in horror as soon as she saw what had happened. The closer they flew, the worse the devastation of the planet had become.

Fires had ravaged through much of the surrounding suburbs, destroying many, many trees. She could feel the agony of the suffering plants as they flew over the ashes, the remaining trees crying out to her in pain. _So many homes wrecked… and all the animals are gone! _There wasn't a single animal in sight fifty kilometers from the City. The dirty snow was varying shades of brown, and in some cases, even black.

"This is way too easy," Riven muttered. "We avoided the Zenithian military-traffic by flying around the dark side of the planet, but even then, we should've come across some resistance. Did you guys notice that?"

No, Flora hadn't noticed that; she'd been too busy looking at the computer. She stared out the window, realizing that he was right.

"Do you think Valtor's _letting_ us through?" Musa asked. "Is he going to ambush us once we reach there? Is that what's going on?"

"Okay, nobody panic yet," Sky said grimly. "We just need to keep a level head and get to the City of Trees."

As they flew closer to the capital city, Flora cried out in horror.A sea of hideous robots stood around the circumference of the city, horrific and demonic. Their eyes were dark and monstrous as they opened their blaster-jets, shooting into the city. Buildings crumbled to ash, civilians ran around screaming, and trees were burned in the sides.

The Linphean army was trying to battle the robots, but there was little they could do. Zenith's army was far superior, and they could barely stop it from advancing, pushing forward into the city. _No… _She buried her face in her hands.

"Don't worry, Flora," Mirta said, laying a reassuring hand on Flora's shoulder. "We'll do everything we can."

"I feel so much weaker," Flora whispered. "So… drained. Valtor has done something to this realm, which is why there are so many dead plants everywhere. I just _feel _it."

"I can sense that Valtor is that way." Bloom pointed west.

Flora froze. "You mean the Linphean castle," she breathed.

"Valtor must be in there! He's taken all of Linphea's spells!" Stella cried.

"Well then, let's get him!" Bloom shouted.

The boys mounted their flying-saucers and followed the girls towards the capital. Flora put up a shield around herself, dodging hexes, attacks, and blaster-jets as best as she could. She glanced down at the city below them.

The entire capital was chaos. The Zenithian robots were marching closer to the trees, now hitting them with devastating blaster-jets. Flora cried out in pain as she felt the trees' agony, worse than anything she'd ever felt before.

"Flora!" Mirta shouted. "You have to be strong! You have to move forward!"

"I don't know if I can – aah!" Flora shouted as ten Zenithian men leapt out of the shadows, running towards them. Their faces were demonic as they lifted their swords and faced the girls and Specialists.

"You're done for," they chanted. The Specialists drew their swords, struggling to hold them off.

"Do you think you could get us some of that fairy-dust?" Brandon shouted as he dueled one of the men.

"No," Layla said, frowning. "It's not going to work. They're not under Valtor's spell at all – they've _chosen _to work for him!"

"Clearly, Valtor terrified them enough so that he didn't _need _to control him," Stella said quietly.

"We'll teach these goons a lesson." Sky drew his sword. "Girls, you go and find Valtor!"

"Good luck," Mirta whispered to Flora, joining the boys as they faced the soldiers.

* * *

The Winx flew towards the castle. _Valtor destroyed it… _She gazed at the façade, completely shocked to see what had happened.

What had once been a beautiful, serpentine tower was now completely wrecked. The façade was cracked, and flowers no longer bloomed around the gardens. There was nothing but darkness and ash.

They flew into the castle through a broken window. Flora gasped as she saw the guards lying on the floor, growing weaker and weaker with every moment. "What did he do to you?" she shouted.

"Don't worry about us," one of the guards whispered. "Just get to the throne room. Take a left, and then there'll be an open door on the right. That's where he is!"

Bloom frowned. "But I don't sense" –

"GO!" the guard shouted, collapsing to the floor.

"Let's go the way he said." Flora led the way, racing down the corridor with her fast Enchantix wings. _We have to find Valtor… _She turned around the corner and gasped.

In front of them was the Linphean throne room. The Linphean flag was removed, replaced by a black banner with Valtor's mark atop. _Valtor's flag… _The royal magenta carpet leading up to the magenta-and-lilac throne lay completely in tatters. And that wasn't all.

Valtor sat atop the throne.

"There you are at last," Valtor said, his eyes cold.

"This is it, Valtor," Bloom snarled. "_This_ is where it ends."

"You think you can defeat me?" Valtor responded coldly. "You think you can defeat the Emperor of Zenith, and soon to be, Linphea?"

"You won't win!" Stella glared at him. "Bloom will defeat you, and you _know _it!"

"They'll send me back to Omega." Valtor's voice had now become petulant and weak. "Do you know how horrible it is?"

"Oh, go cry me a river," Stella said disdainfully. "Those who try to destroy the world shouldn't whine about an eternal sentence!"

Flora frowned. _Something's off with this… _Out of all the times they had seen Valtor, she had never heard him whine like this. Bloom frowned, stepping forward.

"Something's wrong," she said. "The only Dragon Fire I sense is behind me."

"But Valtor's in _front _of you," Musa said in confusion.

"Yes. Unless"… Bloom paused, and the Valtor in front of them smiled.

"Unless, Bloom, this is the end for _you_," he said, and then a searing heat engulfed them from behind.

Flora screamed as she was blasted to the ground. The fake Valtor disappeared; behind them, she could hear laughing. "Looking for me?"

"Yes." Bloom picked herself from the ground and glared at Valtor. "And this time, there's going to be no mercy."

"Agreed," Valtor smiled. Flora gasped as his fire grew stronger and stronger, brighter than ever before.

"Still such a hotshot without your witches?" Stella sneered. "Where're the Trix? Did they abandon you?" She shot a sphere of light at him.

Valtor's eyes narrowed furiously, and somehow, Flora thought Stella was on the right track. But then his eyes grew demonic, and he smiled. "For you, princess of Solaria," he snarled, "eternal darkness from the realm of Whisperia!" He reversed her own blow onto her.

Stella screamed as she was sent to the wall, covered by darkness. Musa and Layla flew forward, their eyes furious.

"Musical jam!"

"Androsian hurricane!"

But Valtor merely deflected the blows on them, and they fell to the ground. Musa fell into a silencing prism, and Layla fell into a bubble of fire.

Flora stared forward in horror. _He's using the same oppositus spell he used last time… _Valtor faced Flora, his eyes dark. "Floral deflection!"

Flora cried as dead plants wrapped their tendrils around her, pulling her to the ground. _I can't believe it… _Valtor advanced on Bloom. "Now it's just you and me."

"You're on!" Bloom slammed him with a fire so hot, it nearly seared Flora.

But Valtor simply deflected it, laughing. "This will be easy." He sent another ball of Dragon Fire at her.

Flora winced as the thorny plants burrowed into her skin, sending pain up her arms. _No, get off of me, no… _But she was too weak to do anything; the dead plants were taking her powers. She watched helplessly as Valtor and Bloom fought.

She knew that Bloom's attacks were uncoordinated and uncontrolled in comparison to the wizard's deadly precision. But then she also saw something she hadn't seen before: Valtor was tiring. He wasn't as young or limber as Bloom, and that made him much weaker. In fact, even with the Agador Box, he didn't have the same strength as the Dominian heir.

"You'll never control the world," Bloom snarled, slamming Valtor with her fire. "You'll never achieve your revenge on King Oritel. This ends right now!" She hit Valtor full-force in the face.

Valtor gasped as he fell backwards. Bloom fell back, too, gasping as she forced herself up. She faced the wizard, her eyes glimmering with pure rage. "It's over, Valtor."

"You will not defeat me," Valtor snarled. "I am still much stronger than you! I have the Agador Box!"

"You mean right here?"

Flora turned her neck slowly and had the shock of her life. Icy was holding the Agador Box, and her sisters, Darcy and Stormy, were laughing.

"There you are!" he shouted. "I summoned you hours ago!"

"We had some business to attend to," Icy said, smiling. "But don't worry, Valtor. We've got you covered." She lifted her hands.

Flora stared in shock as an icy spell from Omega encased the wizard completely in ice, the same one he'd used on Bloom at Cloud Tower. Icy, Darcy, and Stormy laughed, holding the box in their hands.

"I get it!" Stormy howled, a sickening gleam in her eyes. "'We've got you covered!' Ice, that was brilliant!"

"You dare?" Valtor snarled. "You dare betray me, Emperor of Zenith? After I've come far closer to conquering the world than any of you could hope to?"

"I wish we had more time to discuss this," Icy said, her eyes flashing, "but let me get right to the point. You and us, we're _over_!"

"Later, loser," Darcy added.

"We have the power now," Stormy sniggered.

"No!" Valtor shouted. "The Agador Box is mine!" Breaking free from his prison, he shot a ray of fire at the Trix.

But Icy simply turned the spell back on him, and he fell to the ground, hitting his head. "Pathetic," she said, dismissively. "It didn't take long for her to wear you down. Old man, you stand no chance against us."

And as Valtor fell, Flora felt the thorns around her body vanish. The plants released her, and she sat up, gasping at what was going on. The other Winx recovered as well, standing and glaring at the Trix.

"You're done for," Bloom snarled, pointing her Dragon Fire at them.

"No, actually, I believe it's _you _who're done for," Icy smiled. "See you later, losers!" She and the Trix flew out towards the exit, carrying an unconscious Valtor with them.

A wall of rock sprung up between them, no doubt enforced by the various spells captured by the Trix. Flora stared at the rock in disbelief, and then turned towards the other Winx.

"We're trapped," she whispered.

The palace was shaking. Flora screamed as cracks appeared in the floor, and she flew towards the ceiling. She gazed up above her and gasped.

The entire palace was falling.

"We need to get out of here!" Bloom shouted.

"But how?" Layla asked frantically. "The Trix sealed us in the throne-room! We can't" –

"Fairy-dust convergence!" Stella cried. "We have to be quick!"

Flora linked hands with Musa, Layla, and Stella as they spread their fairy-dust around the room. She could feel the seal on the walls disappearing. Bloom joined hands with them, gazing up at the ceiling.

"Now!" she shouted.

Red, yellow, green, purple, and pink energy zoomed upwards, slamming the roof with a terrific _boom_. A hole appeared, and Flora gasped as the force of hundreds of building-materials beat down on them. She looked down below her.

The ground was giving way.

"Let's go!" Layla shouted.

They flew out towards the hole, one-by-one. First Bloom, then Stella, then Layla, and Flora. Musa was last, grimacing as she pushed her way through the hole.

"What do we do now?" she shouted.

Flora looked around. The destruction of her homeworld was worse than she could've ever imagined possible; trees were now utterly broken and fragmented. She blinked back tears.

"We have to get to the Sage of Linphea," she said. "My Bisabuela has helped us once; she'll do it again. Come on, now, before one of those rockets blows us apart!"

"Let's go!" Stella led the way as they barreled towards the _árbol sabio_.

* * *

**Okay, so my first announcement is: I'm going to college next year! My school is opening as planned in the fall, which I'm really excited about. I can't say which school, of course, but I'm very happy that I'll be able to start freshman year. I can hardly wait.**

**Another thing is I've done a lot of thinking about Timmy's role. I don't really like how he isn't included in the story, especially when he could have such an important role. I've done some reworking of the plot, and I've realized that for one of my plot-points to happen, he has to actually appear. So I'm going to be posting his doings as standalone short-stories on a separate story, _Winx Club Fan Collection_ (WCFC). It will also be incorporated into this story, but I want to actually give people a chance to read it, especially in chapters that have already been posted. That's basically what I've been working on this past week.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **Timmy continues his search for Tecna.**

\- **Tecna lands in Zenith with the Trix.**

\- **She meets someone she thought she'd never see again.**

**See you soon!**


	39. Chapter 36: The Other Prisoner

**Hello, everyone! I posted the second of the Resistance Chronicles on WCFC, so be sure to check that out before reading this! It'll make much more sense.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"Sisters," Icy said. "We have a problem."_**

**_The other two witches frowned. "Is it Valtor?" Stormy asked._**

**_"Obviously," Icy said, rolling her eyes at her dim-witted sister. "Valtor is going to take over the entire world. And that includes us. While he's on Zenith, we have a mission to accomplish."_**

**_"What is it?" Stormy asked eagerly._**

**_"Well, Valtor will be gone for a week or so," Icy said, "which means we need time to collect intel. We'll first sneak into Zenith and figure out what's going on there. Then, we're going to go to Omega to find Valtor's criminal records."_**

**_"All right, then," Darcy said. "We have no time to lose."_**

**_Icy smiled as she followed her sisters into the shuttle, and Darcy turned the engine on. Then the shuttle lifted into the air, and they were off._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"Cyros!" she shouted. "Don't come here! Get out of here, now!"_**

**_"Who's this?" Icy hovered over the boy, observing him with interest. "What kind of pipsqueak is he, anyways?"_**

**_"Don't you dare, Icy!" Tecna snarled. "Leave him alone!"_**

**_"Don't hurt her!" Cyros cried. "She's my best friend! The world will suffer without her!" He began to sob._**

**_"So this is the kind of loser you make friends with," Darcy sniggered. "Pathetic."_**

**_ "You're a really bad person!" Cyros glared at Icy. "Don't you see? My Sestra's stopping this bad guy from sending a disease to Linphea!"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Vasiliev pushed her into the chair again. It was then that she noticed what was in his hand._**

**_It was a steel remote._**

**_"You see," Vasiliev continued, "I have now connected this remote to your control panel, which means I can control you from anywhere in the world. Look at this." He pressed the 'ELECTROCUTE' button. Anastasia screamed again as electricity zapped through her wiring._**

**_"That's what happens when you misbehave," Vasiliev said, his eyes dancing. "You've been a very bad girl today, Anastasia. I hope you've learned a lesson about crying – it's never tolerated here."_**

**_Anastasia forced the tears from her eyes. Vasiliev grabbed her by the throat._**

**_"Say one word to your parents about this," he whispered, "and I will kill you. _****I have the controls_._ _Do you understand?"_**

**_Anastasia nodded woodenly._**

**_"You will work for me," Vasiliev continued. "If you even _****think_ about stepping out of line – well, just remember today. You are mine forever."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 36: THE OTHER PRISONER

Timmy stood in the street, gazing upwards. He saw Zenithian warships sailing out from the Zenithian Fortress, Valtor's Mark gleaming purple against a black flag. They were heading out of Zenith, to conquer some unknown place.

_I've never seen so many spaceships. _But he knew that Valtor wasn't satisfied with conquering one of the strongest realms in the UR; he needed to conquer the rest of the world. And for that, he needed a military.

For the past month, the Resistance had tried searching for Tecna – or Anastasia, as they knew her as. They'd gone to Tecna's former house to find intel, and had only barely made it out. A week had passed since Timmy had pitched the idea, and still nothing had happened. Whatever information there was about Tecna, it had been taken away for good.

A week earlier, Valtor had come in, completely taking over Zenith. It had been easy for him to do – Zenith, after all, was a deeply divided nation, with many people hating the premier. All Valtor had needed to do was sneak into the Zenithian Fortress, steal Zenith's spells, and find a few people who hated Medea Alexandrova just as much as he did. Then he'd usurped the Great Premier, taking power for himself.

It had been a bloodless coup. Almost. The Zenithian soldiers had tried resisting against him, but Valtor had shot all of them down with his powers. He'd murdered the Premier, killing her with the magic of her own realm. Now, there was nothing that would get in his way.

"Cadet Timothy?" Mara's voice came through his headset. "Are you at the fortress?" "Yes," Timmy answered, gazing up at the fortress. "I'm there."

"What do you see?"

"Nothing much," Timmy reported back. "Nowhere through which we can infiltrate. It's packed with guards and droids."

"Helpful," Mara said sarcastically. "Anything else?"

"Nothing to report, Captain," Timmy answered. "I see nothing."

There was a pause. Then Mara spoke, and her voice was cold. "I know you, boy. You don't have any real interest in saving Zenith, do you?"

"Of course I do," Timmy said, startled. "I pledged my life to the Resistance."

"No you didn't," Mara snapped. "You pledged your life to that girl. Do you think I don't know that, as soon as you find her, you'll abandon us?"

Timmy stared blankly into the microphone. Truth to be told, he knew Mara was right. He didn't care for the Resistance, although Tecna probably did. Even then, if he had to choose between putting her in danger and bringing her safely back to Magix, he would choose the latter.

"I'm only with you because we need her," Mara said coldly. "But I'll be watching you, lover boy. One wrong move, and I won't hesitate to strike you down." A static sounded through the headset. "Report back to me in an hour." Then she was gone, and there was nothing but the silence on the street.

Timmy swallowed, looking around. There was no sign of anything or anyone around, except for the patrol robots and the policemen. Everyone was too scared to step foot out of the house.

He'd been searching for Tecna for weeks now. All this time had been completely fruitless, and he somehow knew that if he didn't find her soon, she would meet her end. _Maybe Nurse Munjal was right._

No, he couldn't allow himself to think that. _Tecna _will_ return home. _He gazed at the fortress before him and the Zenithian laboratory, a speck on the horizon.

If only he'd been in this exact location twelve hours before, he'd have found the girl he was looking for.

* * *

_Twelve hours earlier_

Tecna sat strapped to the chair, powerless and terrified. Her hands were bound with magic-reducing shackles, much more powerful than the manacles they had at Alfea. She lifted her head as Zenith came into view.

Gray and white stared coldly back at her. She had heard stories that the waters had once been a dark, beautiful purple, but that Sokolov had cast a spell, making the sky and sea pure gray. Now, there was nothing left to signify the warmth and color this planet had once held.

As the ship entered the atmosphere, nearing the terrain of the planet, Tecna's wiring began to buzz. _What's going on? _Something began to warm inside of her, and her internal electricity began to circulate. Then red words flashed across her vision: CONNECTING TO REALM WIDE WEB.

_My Internet's back! _Tecna realized. _Now I can find out what's going on everywhere! _For starters, what the date was. She clicked on her internal computer screen, updating the date and time.

00:23, DUODECEMENSIS 24, the clock read back at her. APPROACHING CITY OF KREMNIY. HIGH: -2 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, LOW: -13 DEGREES CENTIGRADE. WARM CLOTHING ADVISED –

"Hey, pixie!"

Tecna cried as she was zapped by electricity, the chair toppling to the ground. Stormy stood over her, and she lay still, her eyes wide with fear.

"Listen to me the first time we speak to you," she snarled. "We're landing in Kremniy. Look out the window and see what's happening to your beloved city." She forced Tecna's chair upward.

Tecna stared outside. Riots were happening everywhere, jets of light streaming into the air. She could make out protest signs on the street, each worse than the last.

THE RESISTANCE SHALL NOT FAIL, they read. WE SHALL NOT TRADE ONE DICTATOR FOR ANOTHER!

"What?" Tecna breathed, staring around. It was then that she saw it.

The entire Upper District of Kremniy was destroyed. The beautiful steel buildings, that'd once been an icon of the city, lay entirely in ruins. _How did they destroy _those_? _She turned around to glare at the Trix, who were smirking in the corner.

"What'd you do to Kremniy?" she demanded.

"_We _didn't do _anything_," Icy said, rolling her eyes. "Valtor laid siege to this city. All of last week, he staged a coup on Zenith and took over the realm."

_No! _Fury shot through Tecna. "What did he do to them? My people? My _parents_!" She spat out the last word, barely able to hold her breath.

"Now, now," Darcy sneered. "I wouldn't worry too much about them. It's _you _who should be worried."

The spaceship landed on the tarmac right outside of the Zenithian Fortress. It rolled to a stop, and Icy glared at her sisters, immediately silencing them.

"Enough chatter." She looked out the window. "Where is Valtor?"

"I'm right here." The wizard was standing on the tarmac, his arms crossed. "I thought I told you to stay on our base!"

Stormy stepped out of the spacecraft. "Wait until you see what _we _brought," she said gleefully.

"I don't care what you brought." Valtor snarled. "You disobeyed me, and for that, you shall receive punishment!"

Tecna swallowed as Icy undid the straps, pulling her roughly into a standing position. "Come on." She half-dragged Tecna onto the tarmac.

The entire landing-tarmac was messed up. Tecna could tell there'd been a lot of spell-damage done, probably in an attempt to prevent any ships from departing and landing. She stared at Stormy, Darcy, and Icy. And then at Valtor.

"What is this?" Valtor stared at her, shocked. "The girl who died in the Omega Portal?"

"Does she look dead to you?" Icy glared at Valtor. "We found her in Omega, camping out and trying to live. You can thank us for, you know, facing the ice-dragons again and getting her."

"But we're supposed to face punishment," Darcy said, almost mockingly, "so go ahead."

Tecna watched Valtor's eyes narrow as he stared at her, clearly shocked that she existed. Finally, he let out a sigh, turning towards Darcy.

"I will spare you from punishment – for now," he said. "I just went to Magix a few hours ago, to steal Alfea's spells. Those foolish fairies held strong against me, and I had to retreat. We shall be heading to Linphea now."

"_We_?" Icy breathed. "You're letting us come, too?"

"Yes," Valtor answered. "I shall go first, and then you shall join up with me in a few hours. Secure the prisoner. Fly to me as soon as you're done."

Tecna gasped as Icy grabbed her. She stared up at Valtor, feeling shocked and dizzy.

"You can't go to Linphea," she whispered. "You can't do this, Valtor! Those people have already suffered enough!"

"Does it look like I care?" Valtor snarled. "The Zenithian forces are already in Linphea; that realm will be small-fry in no time. I will soon rule all the world!"

"You don't understand!" Tecna shouted. "There may not even _be _a world for you to rule soon! Terrible things are going to happen, which you don't even know about! Don't trust" –

She broke off as Icy tightened her first over Tecna's throat, her long fingernails raking her chin. Valtor's eyes had become deadly, and he glared down at Tecna.

"What is this, pixie?" he whispered. "Is that a threat?"

Tecna couldn't breathe. Icy was nearly choking her, and she couldn't respond to anything Valtor said. His voice became deadly.

"_Never _tell me what I can and cannot do," he whispered. Icy finally removed her hand, and she gasped in air. "Next to the Emperor of Zenith, you are nothing. I shall conquer Linphea, and each and every realm in existence!"

"No," Tecna whispered. Now all they had to do was unleash the disease and her worst nightmare would be realized. "No."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Icy flicked her hands and a cab appearing on the side of the road. "Get in," she hissed to Tecna, shoving her into the backseat.

_Where're we going? _thought Tecna, her head woozy. How did Icy know how to command these cars? _Does she even know where to go? _As if hearing her thoughts, Icy turned around and smirked.

"That was cute of you, trying to snitch on us," she said, "but we're onto you. We spent some quality time here on Zenith, while Valtor was trashing this place, and we found a neat little laboratory. The disease is there, am I correct?"

Tecna refused to nod her head. _No, no, no… _What was Icy going to do once she found it?

"Right now, Stormy and Darcy are tearing apart every single shred of this place, looking for the disease," Icy whispered. Her eyes bore down on Tecna. "You know this, don't you, pixie? One way or the other, it will be unleashed, and we will wield all the power. Keeping silent won't do you any favors." She smiled. "Not that it matters. You'll start talking once you see your little friends."

_What little friends? _Tecna thought. _Wait – she's not talking about the Winx, is she? _Her heart beat faster and faster.

The car rolled to a complete stop. Icy pulled Tecna out of the car, grabbing her towards the laboratory. "Let's go," she hissed. They walked into the laboratory, and Icy shoved the door open.

_What happened to all of the security systems? _Tecna thought. What had Valtor done to this place? _And what's Icy going to do? _She tried hard to swallow her fear.

They walked up the corridor. The darkness made Tecna wince, as she had absolutely no idea where she was placing her feet. She knew Icy could probably see well, though. Witches had better night-vision than fairies, especially those from Whisperia.

A door creaked open. Then Icy shoved Tecna inside, and she stumbled to the ground. Icy spoke in a loud, drawling voice.

"You have a fellow prisoner." Then the door slammed shut, and the light switched on.

Tecna's eyes instinctively closed. _What is this light? _She used her sensors, scanning the people in front of her.

Or rather, the person. He was about two hundred years old, with dark hair and glimmering eyes, and was chained to the wall. _Wait a minute, I _know _him… _She opened her eyes and gasped.

Her worst nightmare sat right in front of her. He stared at her, his eyes shocked. Tecna's heart beat faster as she stared at the Zenithian man, and uttered one word.

"Vasiliev?"

* * *

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Tecna felt anger heat her up, fiercer than anything she'd ever known. She stood up, glaring at him.

"No." She stared at him, completely taken by shock. "Why are _you _here? What is going on? Why is this happening?"

"How did you… survive?" Vasiliev gasped, his eyes bugging out.

"How dare you ask _me _questions?" Tecna snarled. "You, who has hurt this realm beyond despair! You _destroyed _me as a child, and now you seek to destroy the whole world!"

"Careful, cyborg," Vasiliev said, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Don't speak out of turn."

"I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Tecna cried. "I know now what you're developing. If I had known, I would never have gone along with it! And where are my parents? _What have you done to them_?"

"Last I saw them, they were on a prison ship," Vasiliev smirked. "Torture, though, is the Secretary of Public Safety's department. They've probably been zapped into bits by now."

If Tecna was able to use her magic at that moment, she would've zapped Vasiliev to small fry. "How dare you?" Her breath came out in small gasps as she stared at Vasiliev, her eyes monstrous. "My father trusted you! And after all he did for you, you betrayed him!"

"Actually, I believe it was _I _who did a lot for _him_," Vasiliev smiled. "You, actually. Who revived you and created your cyborg limbs after the hover crash?"

Tecna gasped, remembering the torture Vasiliev had put her through. She remembered the purple beam focusing on her, the pain shooting through every nerve –

And then suddenly, she knew. She _knew _why Vasiliev had tortured her that day.

"You gave me the disease," she whispered. "That day, in the circular room, you tested it on me. And then you cured me, with the golden vial! _Where do you keep the antidote_?"

"Little Nassy finally figured it out?" Vasiliev laughed. "You never change, do you? Still the same cyborg you always were."

Suddenly, an anger like she'd never known before came over Tecna. From her position on the ground, she whipped her head towards Vasiliev, fury in her eyes.

"How DARE you?" she shrieked. "All these years, you _used _me! You fooled me into thinking I was weak, that I'd always be dependent on _you_! Well then, why are _you _the one in chains and _I _the one standing free?"

"Do you really think so?" Vasiliev's eyes were now dangerous, and Tecna backed up in fear and alarm. "And you seek to betray me? After all I've done for you?"

Tecna swallowed. She'd been wrong when she'd said she wasn't afraid of Vasiliev anymore. _I don't know if I can do this… _She lowered her head.

"I should never have given you that antidote," Vasiliev snarled. "No more. I'm going to end this, right now. I'm going to end you, the way you should've ended in the Omega Portal!"

Tecna stood in frozen horror as he took out the controls from his pocket. A single, metal remote control, it had the power to end her life source. Vasiliev opened it and pressed TERMINATE.

Nothing happened. Not even a speck of lightning went awry in Tecna's circuits. Vasiliev stared at his remote in horror, and then back at Tecna.

"What'd you do?" he demanded. "Why isn't this working?"

Instantly, Tecna remembered what'd happened when she'd received her Enchantix months ago. _I can't believe I forgot… _Looking down at her arms and legs, which now needed no metal support, she looked up at Vasiliev.

"This just goes to show that you're not always in control," she said. "Control _isn't _the essence of chaos. Sometimes, all you can do is create something – and then it takes a life of its own. You have no control over me anymore!"

"You won't prevail." Vasiliev's eyes were on fire. "You _won't_. I am the one who created you – you shall do whatever I require of you! You owe it to me!"

"I don't owe you _anything_," Tecna snarled. Truer words had never come out of her mouth, nor had she felt more sure of herself. She closed her eyes, accessing her Web circuit to find information.

She had no idea of knowing if Valtor had departed or not, or how long it would take for the Trix to find and unleash the disease. But she _did _still have access to the Internet. _I'm going to find out what's going on. _Focusing her circuit, she accessed information through her head.

She saw everything that had happened in the past few months. Valtor and the Trix had tried more times to steal spells from the UR Defense Schools, and had failed. Countless times, the UR had also tried to search for him, but failed. And now, Valtor was headed to Linphea, ready to destroy another realm.

_How do I break open these handcuffs? _She stared downwards, focusing on her handcuffs. They stopped the flow of magic within her nerves, which left her unable to magically break them open.

But they didn't stop the flow of electricity that ran through her nerves.

Tecna opened her eyes. Vasiliev was still in front of her, the remote in his hands. She lunged forward.

"Give me that." She kicked Vasiliev in the face, turning around. With her hands behind her back, she grabbed the remote.

"Give it back!" Vasiliev tried to run after her, but the chain restrained him. "My controls!"

Tecna ignored him and opened the remote. There were three buttons: TERMINATE, SHUT DOWN and ELECTROCUTE. _Let's see if I can do something. _She pressed the ELECTROCUTE button.

Of course, nothing happened. _That's right… my wiring's no longer connected to the remote. _Vasiliev stared at her in shock. "Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?"

Tecna gazed around, instantly spotting it. An electrical wire was on the side of the room. Pushing against her binds, she opened her control panel and stuck the wire in. "Here goes," she whispered, and then she clicked the switch on.

Electricity surged through her body. But instead of making her reel with pain, she felt energized, filled with lightning. She placed her hands on top of the wire, willing them to pick up the electrical energy.

And they did. Electricity zapped through her handcuffs, dismantling them and freeing her magical flow again. _I'm free… _Throwing her handcuffs away, she transformed, gazing down at Vasiliev.

"What"… Vasiliev gasped, his eyes wide.

Tecna blasted him with a technological wave. As the man fell to the ground, she picked up the remote from the ground. "This shall haunt me no more," she hissed, and then she struck.

"Noooo!" Vasiliev shouted.

Tecna smiled, feeling the power running through her veins. A deep pleasure overtook her as she destroyed the item that had taken over her life, which she couldn't remember having solace from. She turned around to face Vasiliev.

"See you later," she said, and then she struck the door.

"You won't stop it," Vasiliev shouted. "The disease is probably already unleashed. Even if I die here, I will die knowing that my invention is out in the world!"

Tecna stared at Vasiliev. _Should I kill him?_ It seemed like the logical decision. After all, this man had haunted her entire life; he would haunt more lives if she didn't do anything about it. And now, it appeared that Linphea was about to be destroyed.

But then she saw his eyes. They were no longer the eyes of a conqueror; instead, they were filled with misery and anguish. And for the first time in her life, Tecna felt something like pity overcome her, and realized, with a shock, that she felt _sorry _for him.

_Because he is a sorry person. _Vasiliev was a psychopath, and there was nothing she could do for him. She gazed at him once, and then opened the door.

"Goodbye, Vasiliev." And then the door slammed shut, and she flew out of the room, leaving her childhood foe and controller forever behind.

* * *

Icy gazed at the tube in the spacecraft. A tube that was filled with deadliness. She smiled, gazing down at the city of Magix.

They'd wasted no time in searching for the tube. A few hours earlier, they'd been in the central chamber, trying to find the disease inside…

"Let's do this!" Stormy had cheered. "I'm gonna blow some stuff up, and then we'll find it!"

"Use your common sense, Storm," Icy snapped. "If we blow this place up, the disease will be set free, and then what? We'll get it ourselves, that's what. From the sounds of it, its effects don't seem to be all that pleasant."

"So what do we do?" Darcy asked.

"Use that computer," Icy ordered, pointing to the computer behind her. "Figure out its location. Storm, help me look through all this stuff _without blowing anything up_." They walked around the room.

They had to be quick. Valtor would be expecting them in a few hours, and they had to find it soon. If they found it, they'd be Empresses of the World together. But it was always possible that such a thing didn't exist, and that the annoying brat of a child had been bluffing. If it didn't exist, they'd have to go quickly to Valtor's side, as not to incur his wrath.

"Ice!" Darcy gasped. "There's a sac of contaminants detected!"

"Where?" Icy was instantly on alert.

"In that tube." Darcy pointed to a purple test-tube in front of Icy.

All of the tubes were purple in-color and cylindrical, shining with a sickly light. But this one was different. She saw, clearly, that it had green vines growing inside of it, contaminated with spores and fungi. _Of course… they used the vines to breed the disease… _Linphea's own enemy was truly itself. "Unbelievable," she whispered.

"It's _awesome_," Darcy agreed, for once at a loss for words.

"Get it off the wall," she ordered one of the robots. "Do it safely, so the contaminants don't escape." The robot nodded, unhooking the tube and carrying it out.

"Darce!" Icy turned to her sister. "Go and get the ship started. We need to head out!" Darcy nodded, flying out of the room. Cackling with glee, she and Stormy followed the slower robot, who, at their bidding, carried the tube into the sky.

"I can't believe this," Stormy declared. "We have something Valtor doesn't – something totally awesome!" Her eyes glowed. "And now, we're going to make all of Linphea pay!"

"We're not sending it to Linphea, you idiot," Icy snapped. "Why would we waste all our resources on a realm that a three-year-old witch could conquer in her sleep? No, we're sending it to Magix."

"So those Alfea losers and Cloud Tower traitors can cry!" Stormy grinned. "Good thinking, Ice!"

"I'm _always _right," Icy answered smugly as they entered the ship, fastening the tube to the wall. Darcy pressed a button, and then the ship soared off.

_And then, I'll get to finally wipe that smirk off that silly girl's face! _She saw Bloom in her mind's eye, and her annoying princess-friend, Stella. _I'll kill them both, and then I'll make their friends suffer. _She laughed, relishing the thought of defeating all of her old enemies back in Magix.

"Where are we going to unleash it?" Darcy asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Into the heart of Magix itself," Icy answered, a broad smile on her face. "Straight into Magix Square." They flew over the square, gazing down.

The square was lit-up at this time of the night. There were many screens around the square, and a beautiful tower at its north. At the center was a fountain of Rajana and Rajanani, the King and Queen of the Gods as according to Pratidhism, a religion of Magix. Icy's smile grew evil as she glared at the people congregated in the square, holding a vigil for the people injured in the battle against Magix.

"Here we go," she laughed. The robot climbed onto the surface of the ship's exterior and the tube to the outside, pointing its cannonlike opening into the square. Icy watched with bated breath as it fired up, ready to dispense.

The blow didn't sound. Unlike other types of weaponry, this one was silent and invisible. It simply dispensed over Magix like an invisible vapor, one that would kill everyone. The Trix let out a demonic laugh.

"Magix soon will fall," Icy whispered, "and Valtor will be next. And then, we will rule the whole world."

* * *

**All right! Coronacation has officially started. ):**** … This isn't gonna be good…**

**Next chapter:**

\- **Flora and the other girls head to find the Trix and Valtor.**

\- **They unleash the Water Stars onto Valtor.**

\- **Bloom has to face Valtor in a battle of stealth.**

**See you all soon!**


	40. Chapter 37: The Sphere of Obsidian

**Hey, everyone! I posted the third part of the Resistance Chronicles on WCFC, so make sure to check it out!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"We're going to continue with an encasement spell," Maia said. "Are you ready?"_**

**_Bloom called forth a fire-dragon, one that was filled with warmth and light. She exhaled, and it flew out from her heart._**

**_Maia transformed into her Enchantix – a magenta set of robes with white wings, and held a pouch in her hands. "Allow your dragon to hold my fairy-dust."_**

**_Bloom narrowed her eyes, willing her creation to hold still, but her mind was too tense. After a few seconds, the dragon suddenly exploded._**

**_"Argh!" Bloom shouted in frustration._**

**_ "You must relax," Maia said. "In order to master this skill, you must have naught but benevolent intentions and the utmost confidence in yourself."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"I sent those witches to stop you from getting the water, which they obviously failed at," Valtor laughed at Flora. "But I am here, and you are no match for me, little fairy."_**

**That's not true****_, Flora thought. She had her Enchantix, and although she was weaker than Valtor, she wasn't going to fail. Trying to stall Valtor for as much as possible, she said, "What are you going to do to Bloom?"_**

**_"Bloom?" Valtor snorted, though she saw a surprised look in his eyes. "What would I care about that pathetic fairy?"_**

**_"I know you're after her," Flora said boldly. "It's not a secret she has the Dragon Flame."_**

**_ Valtor laughed. "I'll let you know that I'm saving her for the very last." His eyes burned. "You have no idea how easy it would be for me to end her. She could be gone in an instant, after all the power I've accumulated."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Bloom dropped the Water Star. "Oww!" She showed them her hand, which was red and swollen._**

**_"Bloom." Musa faced the red-haired girl. "You shouldn't be here while we do this. If just touching them caused this, what would they do when they're activated?"_**

**_"But I can't just leave you guys," Bloom protested. "You already faced the Shrine yourselves!"_**

**_"Bloom," Flora whispered, "Avalon said that yours and Valtor's fates are linked. I know you want to defeat him." She took Bloom's hands. "But what kills Valtor will also kill you."_**

**_"You have to promise us you won't intentionally put yourself in danger," Stella added._**

**_ Bloom gazed steadily back at them. For a moment, Flora thought she could see a rebellious streak in her roommate's eye. But then she swallowed. "I promise."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 37: THE SPHERE OF OBSIDIAN

They landed at the base of the _árbol sabio_. Flora flew upwards into the tree, followed by her friends. She gasped as soon as she saw who was in front of her.

"Mamá! Abuela!" Running forward, she enveloped her mother and grandmother in a hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Flora." Flora's mother's eyes were misting up. "Those months without you were the longest of our lives."

Flora drew back. "Where're Papá and Miele?"

"They're on a ship headed out of Linphea," Flora's mother said softly. "We stayed back to help your great-grandmother defend this realm. And here we shall stay, as long as it takes."

"Enough with the chatter." That was Bisabuela's voice, cranky as ever. "Time to get down to work!" She glared at Flora, and then turned towards the other girls, who'd just landed behind Flora. "The UR girls are here, so we might as well make use of them."

"Good we're all here," another voice interrupted. Queen Isabel of Linphea stood in front of them, her purple hair adorned with flowers. She was in her fairy-form: an elegant, sky-blue dress with leaves and flowers strung around. A buttercup-yellow collar extended above her head, in the shape of tulip petals. Her wings were luminous, a deep blue in the shape of a maple-leaf. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the girls.

"The situation is dire," she said. "Valtor has taken Linphea's spells and destroyed the palace. Now that the spells of Linphea are gone, the tides have turned against us."

"What do you mean?" Flora asked in horror. Was Linphea to become a barren planet for the rest of its existence?

"What she means is that you have to take down Valtor," Abuela said bluntly. "That is the only way to end this war."

"Uh, I hate to break this to you," Stella said, "but it isn't Valtor we have to worry about anymore."

"What do you mean?" Queen Isabel asked, looking alarmed.

"The Trix double-crossed him," Bloom said softly. "They have the Agador Box. And Valtor is now their prisoner."

Mamá, Abuela, and Queen Isabel all gasped. Only Bisabuela remained unchanged, her voice a low echo as she spoke to the Winx.

"Then you must defeat the Trix," she said. "It is the only way. Once you release the Linphean spells, they will be undefeatable."

"The time has come for me to use Ixazalvoh Gonzales's Spell of Restoration," Bisabuela said. "We must heal the trees and plants so that the citizens of Linphea regain their power-sources. With renewed energy, we will be able to take the army down."

"Your mother and I will help her," Abuela added. "As priestesses, we are masters of natural restoration. We shall do everything in our power to make sure this realm is healed!"

"Meanwhile, you five shall go out there," Queen Isabel said. "You girls have saved the Magical Dimension before; I know this is the right thing to do. You must finish the Trix off!"

"Be careful, Flora," Mamá whispered. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I remember seeing you when you were small," Abuela smiled. "You were always so brave, ready to go out and save the world. Now go and do it now."

Flora hugged her mother and grandmother again. Then she looked over at Bisabuela, who was standing over to the side, her arms crossed. "You come here too," she said.

"Oh, all right," Bisabuela conceded. "You've earned it."

The four women of four generations hugged each other, Bisabuela barely extending one arm around Flora. She leaned into Flora's ears and whispered, "Make me proud, UR girl."

And Flora knew that this, in the strangest way, was the highest praise she could receive from her great-grandmother. She turned towards her friends and smiled.

"Let's go," she said.

* * *

"So if we follow Valtor again, we'll find the Trix?" Layla asked.

"Yes," Bloom answered. "The Trix took Valtor with them. That means that they're all together, and ready to fight. Something tells me, though, that Valtor isn't going to give up without a fight so easily."

"Totally," Musa said. "I mean, he almost conquered the world, didn't he?"

"So what's our plan?" Layla asked.

"I think we have to use the Water Stars," Bloom said solemnly. "We have to end Valtor, for once and for all. And then we have to defeat the Trix."

"Are the Trix in there?" Stella pointed to a ship below them.

Flora looked downwards. There was a ship ahead of them, with the Valtor insignia embossed on it. _I guess the Trix are going to have to change that… _They saw the Trix at the pilot's helm, laughing and chatting.

"So this is the plan," Bloom whispered. "Musa, Layla, and Flora will face off against the Trix. I can sense that Valtor is in the compartment below. While they defeat the Trix, Stella and I will sneak down into the ship and unleash the Water Stars against Valtor!"

"Wait a minute, Bloom," Flora frowned. "The Water Stars are just as likely to kill you as they are to kill Valtor. If you go down and unleash them on Valtor, you'll die!"

"It doesn't matter." Bloom's eyes were on fire. "I need to defeat Valtor! That is my destiny!"

"Bloom, your destiny is to save your birth parents, not to die against a force you have no control over!" Stella gazed over at Flora and linked hands with her. "You and I will defeat Valtor with the Water Stars. Bloom, Musa, and Layla will face the Trix." She turned towards Bloom, her eyes narrowed. "_Got it_?"

Bloom sighed. "I hate it when you're right."

"No more time for talking," Musa shouted. "I think the Trix spotted us!"

And they did. Flora saw the Trix speeding towards them, eyes dark and horrible.

"Ready to face your end?" Icy snarled. "Ready for us to unleash the Agador Box?"

"No, I think it's time for _you _to face your end!" Bloom snarled, shooting them with a blast of Dragon Fire.

"Now!" Stella whispered to Flora, grabbing her by the hand. While the Trix were distracted, they slunk into the ship, carrying the Water Stars. Total darkness surrounded them, and Flora couldn't help but feel scared.

"Where is he?" she whispered. She almost wished they had Bloom with them, who could sense Valtor's presence. "Is he here?"

"I can feel powerful energy in front of me." Stella gazed forward. "I think Valtor is here."

"You think?" a voice in front of them asked. Flora screamed as she was blasted with Dragon Fire, knocked off her feet. Stella scrambled upward and created a ball of light in her hands.

In front of them was Valtor, smirking brilliantly. "This is where it ends," he said.

"No, it'll end for _you_, right now!" Stella opened the box of Water Stars. "Now, Flora!"

Flora focused her energy on the Water Stars. _Time to activate them! _She sent as much natural energy as she possibly could, sending them towards Valtor…

"No!" yelled Valtor, and he created a shield around himself, blasting Flora and Stella off their feet.

Suddenly, Flora's head began to shake, and she felt woozy and lightheaded. _What's going on? _She felt all of her magic slowly draining from her head, her body beginning to shut down. _What's happening to –_

"SOLARIAN SLAP!" Stella roared, sprinkling her fairy-dust over Flora and slamming her head awake with a burst of sunlight. Flora groaned, coming back to her senses as she stared up at Stella. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Stella grabbed the Water Stars from the ground, glaring at Valtor. But the wizard simply smiled.

"Keep all the Water Stars you want," he cackled. "I have the Shield of Obsidian with me, a shield that will repel any kind of magical force. With the powers of Obsidian, I can do anything I want, to anyone in the world. Your Water Stars are useless!" He blasted a hole into the ship's ceiling and flew out."

Flora gasped. _He's heading straight for Bloom! _Stella summoned her scepter, grabbing Flora's hand.

"_Transportus_!" she yelled.

They transported to the deck above. The Trix were fighting Bloom, Layla, and Musa, and Flora could tell that her friends were losing. Even with Bloom's Dragon Fire, the Trix had all the spells of the Agador Box, which made them far, far stronger. _Oh no…_

"Huh?" Icy gasped as Valtor flew upwards.

The violet-cloaked wizard laughed. "Goodbye, traitors!" he snarled. Sending a ray of Dragon Fire to the Trix and knocking them to the ground, he turned towards Bloom.

"While in Obsidian, I stole the power of a shield that will protect me from any magic," he cackled. "It also greatly amplifies my powers. Your nature-loving friend felt it, didn't she?" He smiled at Flora, who shrank back.

Bloom glared at him, fire in her eyes. "You won't win, Valtor," she snarled. "As long as there's breath in our bodies, we will fight!" She shot her Dragon Fire at him.

But Valtor shot his Obsidian spell at her, and she let out a scream, falling to the ground. He cackled, lifting another dark sphere in his hands.

"Last princess of Domino," he said, his eyes dancing, "prepare to meet your end!" He shot a killing blast at her.

But then Stella leapt in front, blocking the spell with her solar-power. "Not on my watch!" she yelled.

"Nor on mine!" Layla added, joining Stella.

Flora and Musa flew forward, joining their friends as they formed a circle around Bloom. "Convergence shield!" they shouted, forming a bubble.

"Yeah!" Stella cheered as Valtor attacked the bubble, his eyes monstrous. "Way to go!"

"You can't keep this up," Bloom whispered.

"Sure we can!" Stella declared.

But Flora could already feel the effects of maintaining the shield. _We can't do this forever… _Bloom walked forward, placing a hand on Stella's shoulder.

"If you keep this up, you'll lose all of your power," she said. "And then Valtor will kill you along with me! No, this isn't going to work." She took in a deep breath. "I'm going after him."

"No!" Layla shouted.

Flora heard a laugh above them. _What's that? _The Trix, clearly recovered from the attack, were staring down, their faces monstrous as they glared at Valtor. Behind Valtor, the Agador Box lay at the back of the boat, clearly forgotten.

"Listen, I have a plan," Bloom whispered, "but I need you to trust me. I need you to converge your fairy-dust together. Focus it on me."

"But Bloom"… Stella whispered.

"Drop the shield," Bloom said firmly. The bubble disappeared, and she walked towards Valtor, her chin high.

"Princess Bloom," Valtor laughed. "Ready to join your parents in death?"

Above them, Flora saw the Trix, gazing down in interest. She knew they wouldn't do anything until either Bloom or Valtor was defeated; they were interested to see which way this was going to go. Flora held her breath as Bloom faced Valtor.

"You can't stop me," Valtor smiled.

Bloom didn't answer. Instead, she summoned a dragon, a small one, and it faced Valtor. _What's she doing!_

"That dragon is tiny!" Musa gasped. "It's not going to do anything!"

"I think it's more powerful than we think," Stella whispered. "It must've been a move she learned on Pyros. In the meantime, we need to activate our fairy-dust!"

"But on _what_?" Flora asked in confusion.

"Dragon fire?" Valtor laughed. "What kind of foolish move is this, fairy? You know you can't attack me!" He shot the Spell of Obsidian at Bloom.

Bloom struggled, but still held her ground. Her dragon continued to circle around her, not even trying to protect her.

"Let's go!" Stella shouted, lifting her pendant in the air.

A sinking feeling in her heart, Flora lifted her fairy-dust, too. Green, yellow, purple, and pink sparkled lifted into the air, forming a glittery mold. _Fairy-dust… for _what _purpose, exactly?_

Immediately, Bloom's dragon soared towards the fairy-dust, swallowing it. It began to shimmer all five colors, glowing brilliantly against the sky. Valtor rolled his eyes at the dragon.

"How foolish," he jeered. "Your dragon can't do anything against mine, fairy!" He shot her again with the spell. Crying out in pain, she still managed to hold her ground.

"I'm going after her." Layla flew forward.

"No!" Stella grabbed her arm. "Layla, we have to trust that Bloom knows what she's doing!"

"But what if she doesn't?" Flora whispered, staring forward.

And it appeared that she didn't. The third time Valtor attacked Bloom, she let out a cry, falling to the ground.

"No!" Flora, Layla, Stella, and Musa cried.

"Now it's our turn!" the Trix shouted, and Icy slammed Valtor to the ground. They flew forward, glaring at the Winx as they unleashed the few remaining spells they had from the Agador Box.

"Duck!" Stella shouted, and the four fairies darted out of the way.

"Prepare to face the end, fairies!" Icy shouted. "Darcy, go get the Oblivion Sphere from the Agador Box!"

"Okay – but where _is _the Agador Box?" Darcy asked in confusion.

Flora gazed ahead. Behind the Trix's unsuspecting backs, Bloom's dragon had settled on the Agador Box, coating it with beautiful, rainbow sparkles. "Look!" she whispered.

The Box had broken open. Spells were shooting out of it, high into the sky as they soared triumphantly, like shooting stars answering the wishes of all.

"Whatever, we don't need that spell," Icy declared, facing the Winx. "We have enough power already! Let's finish them off!"

From behind them, Flora heard Bloom sitting up, her voice a faint echo. "Now."

And then Flora realized the genius of Bloom's plan. Knowing that Valtor had a grudge against her, Bloom had tempted him with a battle, appearing weak to bring his guard down. Also knowing that her own fairy-dust was incomplete, she'd asked the girls to use theirs. And now, using the dragon of Pyros, she'd sent her friends' converged fairy-dust to the Agador Box, in a way such that Valtor hadn't even noticed. And now, the Trix and Valtor were done for.

Stella's face broke into a huge smile. "You've got it!" she declared.

"Got what?" Icy snarled. She still hadn't noticed the Agador Box behind her, even though it was emitting powerful rays of energy. "You losers are totally" –

"Before you begin firing away, you might want to check your – or Valtor's – or whoever's it is – box," Stella laughed. "It looks like it's leaking."

"What?" Icy whipped her head around.

Jets of light soared through the air, brighter than anything Flora had ever seen before. Every color imaginable – blue, green, yellow, scarlet, amethyst – was soaring into the sky, filling Linphea with a sense of harmony. The warriors on the battlefield turned around, gasping at the beautiful comets of color that soared through the sky.

"No!" Icy, Darcy, and Stormy shouted.

"Bloom's Enchantix might be incomplete, but she still busted your stash of spells wide-open," Stella grinned.

"What's going on?" Valtor had now stirred awake. He gasped in horror at what was happening. "_No_!"

"All gone," Layla smiled, gazing at the now-empty Agador Box.

"No, it can't be," Valtor gasped. "Not the spells I spent all this time collecting – the Sun of Solaria – Waves of Andros – Harmony of Linphea" – He was positively spitting with rage. Turning towards the Trix, he let out a roar. "You'll pay for this!" He shot a burst of Dragon Flame at them.

"Hrah!" Icy fought back, shooting her ice-power back at him.

"Look!" Flora gasped, pointing towards the east, where the City of Trees was.

She saw her Mamá, Abuela, and Bisabuela holding hands, the spells of Linphea encircling them. They were in their fairy-forms, holding a powerful sphere of green light in their hands. Then a ripple of natural energy shot outwards, blanketing the city with light.

Flora watched in fascination as the Castle of Linphea repaired itself, glimmering pearly-pink against the trees. The ash disappeared from the trees; instead, icicles hung from them, a stunningly beautiful winter paradise. _They're restoring Linphea… _The snow was restored to its beautiful white color, and the burn-marks over the forest disappeared, healing the trees and bringing everything back to life.

And with that, the trees began to take up arms. Flora watched, her mouth wide open, as the trees lifted their branches, slamming down against the robots. One of the trees picked up Valtor, and he gasped, letting out a howl.

But the frozen tree simply threw him to the ground, covering him with snow. And then it threw him into the lake. Ice froze over it, and Valtor remained in its depths, completely trapped.

"Woo-hoo!" Stella cheered. "Way to kick villain booty!"

"Let's get out of here." Icy stood up, glaring around at the Zenithian forces. "Retreat!" she yelled.

And just like that, the Zenithian generals complied. They signaled the robots to climb into the ships, flying up into the air. The Linphean warriors, with renewed energy, shot furious jets of light at the receding soldiers' backs.

Flora looked up and saw Icy, Darcy, and Stormy flying towards a nearby ship. _They're going to escape… but we won't let them. _Bloom flexed her fists.

"Now's our chance!" she yelled.

The girls flew forward and surrounded the Trix, who gasped at them in alarm. Icy glared forward, her eyes looking like death.

"You will never defeat us!" she snarled. "Even if you defeat us, it's too late! Darkness is already taking over the world!" She let out a maniacal laugh.

"You won't," Flora said, glaring at her. "We're going to end this right now!" As she linked hands with her friends, they sent rays of pyrokinetic, solar, sonar, aquatic, and natural power into the air.

"Convergence!" they shouted.

The Trix screamed as the girls sent red, yellow, pink, purple, and green energy at them. They cried out as the energy engulfed them, utterly and completely destroying their powers.

Then they fell. The Trix collapsed in a heap on the snow, completely still. Layla gazed at her friends, shock in her eyes, but also pride and triumph.

"We did it," she whispered. "The Trix are done for."

* * *

The girls stayed in Linphea for the night, watching as the citizens rebuilt their city. Bit-by-bit, the City of Trees was restored to its former glory, shining brilliantly with pearly white snow against a shimmering blue sky. The children of Linphea cheered, sledding down the trees, a celebration for the end of the war.

Flora had offered to help Queen Isabel's crew rebuild the city, but she refused.

"You have done all you could," she answered. "And I am very proud of you girls."

They spent the day laughing and cheering, spending time with the children of Linphea. Miele and Papá had returned, and Flora hugged her sister tightly, never wanting to let go. They spent time together in the City of Trees, rejoicing their reunion after the end of the war.

The morning of their departure was fair as the Winx walked towards the tarmac to their ship. Although the temperature was below zero, there was no wind-chill, and the sun glowed sweetly down. Around them, they could see Linphean construction-workers and military personnel, working to put the city back together.

"That was so brave of you to face Valtor, Bloom," Layla said as they walked towards the ship.

"Brave and brilliant and _unbelievably scary_!" Stella glared at Bloom, who took an alarmed step back.

"She's right," Flora added, gazing at her roommate. "I don't want to ever worry about you like that again."

"Me neither!" Stella added. Bloom nodded meekly, taking a step back.

The stern expression on Stella's face melted away, and she threw her arms around her friend. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Hey, look!" Musa pointed towards the ship.

Flora looked ahead. The boys and Mirta were running towards them, their arms wide. Flora ran forward and grabbed Mirta, squeezing her as tightly as she could.

"You're safe," Mirta whispered.

"That's right," Flora answered, smiling at her girlfriend. "And I'm never going to leave you again."

They boarded the ship. As it lifted off from the tarmac, hundreds of Linphean people stood around the tarmac, waving to them. Flora smiled, waving back towards her people as the ship zoomed into the sky.

She glanced at the others. All of the other girls were spending time with their respective boyfriends, chatting and talking about how they'd defeated the Trix and Valtor. But only one girl was standing alone, her eyes downcast. _Mirta? _She walked over to her girlfriend and took her hand.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Mirta looked up. The others stopped talking with their boyfriends and walked over to Mirta.

"Well," she said, "While I was helping the queen and her attendants defend the city, I watched the battle from afar. And I saw how you battled Valtor head-on, Bloom. How you almost _died_." She gazed over at the red-haired fairy, who nodded. And it made me realize, well, that you were right. Life's too short to be enshrouded with lies and deception – I need to keep an honest and open communication with my parents. And so I've decided that I'm going to write to them." She looked at Flora. "Will you help me?"

"Of course I will," Flora smiled.

"Well, I _was _overly-emotional that day," Bloom said, "but I'm glad you took something I said to heart."

The hours passed easily. Flora helped Mirta write a letter to her parents, starting with an apology as to why she'd barely contacted them the past three years. She explained everything, including how she'd been bullied at a young age, the continuation of the bullying in Cloud Tower, and why she'd decided to become a fairy. It ended with a call to make amends and for them to leave their differences behind.

"We're home," Riven announced.

Flora looked up. It was afternoon now in Magix, the sky pale-blue. The ship was landing at Alfea, and the gates opened. _Why would they open so fast? _She got out of the ship, the other Winx in tow, and they headed towards the Alfea gate.

"Welcome home, girls," someone called, and Flora gazed up. _What's going on – _She gasped in amazement as soon as she saw what was going on.

All of the girls were standing in the quad, cheering at the Winx. Banners and streamers hung over the castle, which appeared to have recovered from its attack by Valtor. Flora caught sight of Nova and Galatea, cheering loudly; Eris, giving her puffer-fish eyes; and the staff members, showering their students with praise.

"What's going on?" Layla was staring at the fairies of Alfea in surprise.

"I can't believe we forgot what day it was?" Stella gasped.

"What?" Flora stared at Stella as if she'd just grown two heads. _What is she talking about?_

"New Year's Eve!" Stella shouted.

Flora gasped, remembering. Today was Duodecemensis 31, which also happened to be the day of Magix's winter solstice. _The only way to celebrate this new era…_

"It is time for our annual New Year's celebration," Faragonda said, smiling. "And this time, we have a very special celebration. We are going to be celebrating the defeat of the Trix and Valtor!"

For a moment, Flora thought she saw an uncertain glimmer in Bloom's eyes. But she must have imagined it, for it vanished just as soon as she saw it. The red-haired fairy smiled as the Alfea students gave the Winx a standing ovation.

"Oh no!" Stella gasped, startling them all. "But we didn't prepare! We need to do a day of makeup, a day of hair, a day of dress-alteration, a day of" –

"Don't worry, Stella," Musa laughed. "We're still the stars of the show."

"Get changed," Faragonda said. "The party starts at seven o'clock. Be there soon!"

"Let's go!" Layla shouted. The girls raced up the steps to their apartment.

* * *

The party was awesome. Chef Sfoglia had prepared Magixian delicacies for the students, and several businesses in Magix had donated food as well. The Red Fountain students were there too, sweeping their girlfriends off their feet and dancing in the Alfea ballroom. Everyone was laughing and cheering, in a strong celebratory mood.

Ironically, in all the time the Winx had been at Alfea, this was the first New Year's party that had ever been held. Usually, the students got a two-week break after the New Year; however, they'd never got to experience it. Last year, the Winx had spent a month in the Resort Realm instead of heading home to their families; the year before, the Army of Decay had attacked Alfea. Nobody had exactly been in a celebratory mood then.

But now, it was time to celebrate. Alfea's senior class had been through plenty of turmoil, and it was now time to commemorate their resilience. Their legacy at Alfea would never be forgotten.

Flora sat with Chatta and Mirta, the silk folds of her dress kissing her legs. They'd just mailed Mirta's letter, with hopes that her parents would receive it promptly the next day. And now, it was time to relax.

"I can't believe you defeated the Trix," Chatta cheered. She was wearing a short, dark-green dress that complimented her light skin and golden hair. "You totally kicked them in the butt!"

"We did," Flora smiled, gazing over at Musa, who was on the stage. She'd apparently been inspired to write a song about courage and triumph, and was now singing it while Layla danced next to her. Flora had overheard Griselda remarking to Faragonda that it should be the new Alfea school song.

"And Valtor too," Mirta added. "Now we can celebrate!"

Flora smiled at Mirta. She was wearing the dress they'd bought at the boutique, which looked absolutely beautiful on her. She took her hand, her eyes gentle and bright.

"Want to dance?" she asked.

It was now eleven-thirty, the full moon almost at its peak. The music was changing to a slower waltz. The freestyle dancing vanished, and boys and girls got in partners. Flora saw Bloom and Sky, Stella and Brandon, Musa and Riven, and Layla and Nabu dancing together, love in their eyes.

_Let's join them. _The two girls joined their friends on the dance-floor, laughing and twirling with the upbeat waltz. A look of recognition appeared in her friends' faces, and they smiled acceptingly, enjoying their time together.

They danced until Flora's feet hurt. Around them, she could hear the laughter of her classmates, the happiness in their faces as they danced around the Winx, who'd taken the center of the ballroom to themselves. Girls oohed and aahed at Musa and Layla's beautiful dance-moves, although Riven stumbled quite a bit to keep up with Musa.

"It's almost time!" Griselda shouted.

Flora stopped and gazed up at the clock, which was rapidly counting down to the New Year. _Half a minute to go… _The room became silent, even the music ceasing to play.

"Almost time," Stella whispered, "almost time"…

"Thirty," the Alfea students chanted, "twenty-nine, twenty-eight" –

Flora gazed over at her friends, who were all counting as well. She joined the fray, shouting out. "Seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen" –

Mirta grabbed her hands and began to count along with them. Soon, there wasn't a single voice that wasn't raised in glee.

"FIVE," the students called, "FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!"

A chime shouted. The Alfea ballroom exploded with color, the words HAPPY 1013 illuminating the window. Musa began to sing, and everyone cheered her on.

"I can't believe it!" Stella cheered. "We made it!"

Flora smiled, gazing at Mirta. Emerald-green eyes met dark indigo, the two of them united as one.

And then she leaned forward and kissed her.

The music swelled to a crescendo as the students of Alfea cheered. Flora held Mirta tight, knowing that everything she'd ever wanted was right here, in this moment. _Well, _almost_ everything…_

That night, the Winx settled down in their apartment. They sat on the sofa together, gazing down at the compound, which everyone was now clearing.

"That was great," Layla said as she changed into her green pajamas. "I loved spending time with Nabu. This was the first time we ever kissed."

"I told you that you'd end up with someone," Stella smiled.

"Yeah," Bloom added. "You and Nabu are totally perfect for each other. And Flora, it was just amazing, watching you and Mirta swirl around during that waltz"…

Flora frowned, remembering as she and Mirta had kissed in this very room, on the first day of school. How Tecna had walked in and caught them. She remembered the shocked expression on Tecna's face, which had later turned to acceptance as Flora had explained to her what was going on.

_She was the first one to accept me for who I was_, Flora realized. _And she loved me for it. _She fought back tears as she leaned back.

"What's going on?" Musa asked, noticing her downcast expression. "What's" – She stopped, and a gleam of understanding came into her eyes.

"Someone's missing," Flora whispered. She gazed up at her friends. "And I think we all know who she is."

Bloom, Stella, and Layla exchanged a look. "Tecna," they whispered.

Musa was the first to break down. Flora hugged her, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I wish she were here," she whispered.

"She saved us," Bloom whispered. "She saved all of us. She deserves the highest honor, higher than any of us received tonight."

"And she saved my realm," Musa added. "I can never repay her for that."

"Let's spend tonight remembering her," Layla said. "Let's commemorate what she did for us, and ensure that she'll never be forgotten. She's the reason why we defeated the Trix and Valtor."

"Yes," Bloom agreed. "We won't ever forget you, Tecna. We won't ever forget what you did for us."

They all sat silently on the floor. Five friends united in their grief, gazing at each other through somber, yet accepting, eyes. Flora brushed a tear from her eyes as she gazed over at Musa, who was always true to her emotions; Layla, who freely followed her own path; Stella, who always made everyone laugh; and Bloom, whose bravery and determination knew no bounds. She lowered her head.

It was Stella who ruined the moment. "Why are we all just sitting around here? Isn't that, you know, completely illogical?"

They all cracked up. Sitting together until dawn, they recalled stories of Tecna – how she'd been so aloof when they first met, the countless times she'd defended them from the Trix, and the time she'd almost blown up the fake Professor Avalon like he deserved. And then, of course, there was the time she'd confessed her feelings to Timmy, the boy who was now searching for her, far, far away. _He'll make it through… _Her eyes drooped as she lay on the floor, next to her friends, who were slowly falling asleep.

_Somewhere…_

* * *

**That was very sad. But at least Valtor and the Trix were defeated! Or so they thought…**

**On a side-note, this chapter actually reminds me of all the turmoil my graduating-class, the Class of 2020, has faced throughout this time – especially those of us in the U.S. Think about it. We were born around 9/11, and our senior-year was cut short by this quarantine. And exactly around the time we were developing our own views on the world, we had to sit through that disastrous presidential-election… I'm not trying to politicize this, but I think a lot of what I've seen the world go through has influenced what I've written about in this story. I feel like the Winx and the Specialists, in this story, are going through a lot of what much of us are going through now – the uncertainty and turmoil of it all.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **Cyros tries to escape from Omega.**

\- **Tecna sees her parents again, for the first time in months.**

\- **She confronts the circular room for the first time since that fateful day.**

**See you soon!**


	41. Chapter 38: The Circular Chamber

**Happy solstice, everyone! Today marks a pivotal turning-point not just in the year, but also in this story. Enjoy!**

**Make sure to read the first half of this chapter before the next Resistance Chronicles.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"You're Prince Cyros," Tecna said slowly. "You're the Lost Prince of Zenith!"_**

**_ "No I'm not!" Cyros backed away, looking terrified._**

**_ "Yes, you are!" Tecna snapped. "Your father sent you here for your safety, so you'd one day save Zenith! That's true, isn't?"_**

**_ Cyros whimpered._**

**_ "Well, you're a thousand years late," Tecna said grimly, "but you're going to do this now. You have to bring Premier Alexandrova down before the plague spreads to Linphea!"_**

**_ "I can't!" Cyros cried._**

**_ "You have to!" Tecna snarled. "It's the only way."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Cyros cried out as Tecna pulled him along with her, flying into the air. "Can't you transform?" she yelled._**

**_"I can't!" Cyros wailed. "I've never done it before!"_**

**_ "Well, now would be a good time!" Tecna snarled._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_The door began to slide open, leading to a circular room. Anastasia stepped inside, and immediately gasped._**

**_The entire room was metal. A little bit of moonlight penetrated from a circle of glass at the top, which illuminated the room with an eerie glow. Around her were test-tubes, which were filled with weird, glowing purple liquid._**

**_Anastasia stared at it in frightened awe. "What's here?" she whispered._**

**_ "This is the heart of my laboratory," Mr. Vasiliev whispered. "Your father, Anastasia, has agreed to let me hire you. You will be working here."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 38: THE CIRCULAR CHAMBER

_Three days earlier_

"No!" Cyros wailed. "_Sestra_!"

The witches cackled as they carried his friend onto a dragon. The witch with the magenta suit pushed her roughly aboard, and the blue-clad witch smiled. She spat at Cyros, her spit freezing in midair and hitting Cyros in the nose.

"Bye, loser," she laughed. And then she flew off.

Cyros watched helplessly as the witches took his _Sestra _away from him, the one person who had signified hope in his life. Whereas Master Ying and Mistress Yuie had disappeared, Tecna was there, always ready to give him hope and love. Except… now she was angry with him.

He remembered how they'd fought, a few weeks prior. How he would give anything to make it up to her now. He sighed, remembering how she'd told him that he had to exercise his duty and save Zenith from harm.

It stung, especially since he'd never wanted to be the prince of Zenith. He'd hated the stuffiness of the fortress, the rigidity of his family, and all the _work _he had to do in his studies. Leaving his parents behind had been brutal, but his time in Omega, pre-iceberg, had been the best in his life. He'd experienced a childhood he'd never have had otherwise, and made some of the best friends in the world.

But they were all gone. And now, the only friend he had left in the entire world was about to depart forever, never to come back. Unless he did something about it.

_I have to go with them_, Cyros realized. _I have to follow my _Sestra _and get out of here, so I can reunite with her again. I _have_ to catch up with them. Somehow, I'm going to make sure we're never separated again!_

He focused his energy on the neurons in the air, bending them to create a platform. An orange, meter-long prism appeared in front of him, which he leapt on. His eyes were on fire as he used all the energy he had, shooting himself and the platform high into the sky.

He could see the dragons ahead, approaching the spaceship. The purple-clad witch had gotten off her dragon and was hovering the ship in the air, while the pink-clad witch forced Tecna in. _I have to get inside somehow… but the witches can't see me… _He pushed the platform towards the underside of the ship and grabbed onto the rails.

"Activate takeoff," he heard a computerized voice. Then the ship zoomed high into the air, faster than any force he'd ever experienced.

Cyros's eyes bugged out as he was shot from his platform. "Heeee!" he shouted in fear, clinging onto the rails for dear life.

_I have to get inside! _If he didn't get inside the ship before they exited the atmosphere, he would be dead instantly. Teeth clattering, he focused his energy on a side latch.

The latch sprung open. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to haul himself into the compartment, even though it was freezing cold outside. He once almost fell from the ship, but stopped himself just in time from falling far, far below.

He couldn't hold on like this forever. His already-limited physical strength was waning, and he grimaced, forcing himself upwards. _Please, let me get inside…_

Then an idea came to him instantly. Focusing his energy, he created an orange rope, one that hung from the ceiling of the compartment above. The rope grabbed him tightly around the waist.

_Let's hope this works. _He focused on the rope, and it pulled him up into the compartment, forcing him to let go of the rails. For a brief, terrible second, it appeared that the rope would give way, and he'd fall far, far below. Then he was pulled into the compartment, and slammed the latch shut, the cold air finally gone.

_I'm alive! _For a moment, he felt almost overjoyed. But then he remembered that he was in the enemy's ship, and that this wasn't a safe place for him to celebrate. He lay down, stretching on the ship's floor.

Now all he had to do was wait. Wait until they landed in Zenith, and he would be able to reunite with Tecna.

* * *

Except, it wasn't quite so easy as that.

Cyros lost track of how much time passed. Lying down in the cold, dark compartment, he easily fell asleep. For how many hours, he didn't know.

When he did wake up, however, he knew instantly that they were in Zenith.

Even through the ship compartment's walls, he could feel the Zenithian electrical energy buzzing through. And based off of the air-pressure within the cabin, they had to be close to the ground. _This has _got _to be Zenith… _He opened the latch of the ship, and gasped.

It had been a long time since he'd seen his birth realm. A thousand and twenty-two years, to be exact. And now he gazed down, unable to believe what he saw.

For starters, the sky was gray and drab. It had lost its beautiful shade of neon-blue, which every visitor to Zenith had admired. The colorful buildings of his childhood were nowhere to be seen; instead, the buildings were made of a cold, silvery-black metal. _Is that… steel? Why is it being used to build people's homes? _In his time, steel had been a highly-prized material that was only used for important industries, such as vehicle-manufacturing and factories, and important, official buildings. He missed the neon, bright edifices of his time.

But most startling of all was the new technology. Back when Cyros lived in Zenith, the development of computers was at its infancy. Now, _huge _screens towered above the city, blasting lines such as ALL HAIL EMPEROR VALTOR! and NEW PROGRESS FOR ZENITH SOON TO COME! On the streets, human-shaped metal-monsters glided across the roads, picking up trash and cleaning gutters.

_Robots! _Cyros realized. _Zenith has gone from being the realm of metal to the realm of technology! _He gasped in amazement, awed and horrified at the same time. He stared at the tallest building in the city, the palace which had once been his home…

_The Zenithian Fortress! _Unlike the rest of the city, it hadn't changed much from his time in Zenith, except for the flag at the top. Before the Zenithian flag had been blue-and-orange, with blue being the color of knowledge and orange the color of innovation. Now, however, it was a grimy black and a cheap-looking silver, which Cyros stared at in disgust. _This place sure is lacking…_

Suddenly, he lost his balance. He let out a gasp as he plummeted through the latch-door, falling far, far below.

"Heeeeelp!" he shouted.

The moment seemed to last forever. Pure terror overtook Cyros, and with each moment, he fell faster. The boy was no match for the forces of gravity.

_I'm going to die_, he thought helplessly. _I'm sorry, Sestra. I'm sorry for everything and –_

A blinding flash of white overtook him. Confused, Cyros felt himself suspend in midair, staring around at himself as he entered a shimmering yellow cocoon.

_What's going on? _How did he get inside of here? And why was he standing naked in a bubble, when he'd just been falling in midair moments ago?

Then he felt himself transform. An orange tracksuit appeared over his body, with a glowing pink bead at the center. He felt his purple hair smoothen, and then wings began to sprout out of his back.

_Wings? _Pale yellow and delicate, they spun out easily, soft and firm at the same time. He stared at himself in shock and amazement.

_I've transformed! _he thought gleefully. _And now, I can get out of here!_

The bubble disappeared. But before Cyros could fall, he latched onto the air with his wings, soaring through the sky. Letting out a whoop of joy, he sailed effortlessly into the city.

He had never felt such excitement before. What joy it was, to fly into the sky with his own two wings, the wind whistling past his ears, unhindered. Laughing, he swept down into the city.

He shot into the darkness of the town below. He was getting closer, closer to the ground than he'd expected. He giggled as he shot down, almost to the ground –

– And crashed into someone.

Cyros gasped, hitting his head on the ground. For a moment, he only saw stars as he reverted back to his civilian form. Then he heard an angry voice above him. "What in Rajana's name do you think you're doing?"

Cyros squinted. Above him was a tall man with orange hair, broken glasses, and an angry expression on his face. He was pointing a blaster straight at Cyros. "Put your hands up," he ordered.

Cyros lifted his hands in the air. As the man grabbed a rope and tied his hands together, he realized that he wasn't an adult – in fact, he looked more like a teenager. "You're a kid," he realized.

In response, the teenager kneed him, and he yelped as he fell to the ground. He began to speak furiously, glaring down.

"Who do you think you are?" he snapped. "Are you a spy for the Zenithian government? Are you keeping track of me?"

Cyros stared around at the city. It was then that he noticed that it was in complete disrepair, a foul stench permeating through the air. The buildings were completely run-down, and flies congregated everywhere, over the filthy city and into the gutters of the streets. _This isn't how this city looked before._

The man continued to glare at Cyros, and snorted. "I take that back – there's no way you're a spy. You gleam bright orange against the sky."

"I do?" Cyros asked with interest. "How do I look?"

"Like a fool!" the teenager snapped. "Flying is forbidden above this city, you idiotic non-spy. I say you have about two seconds before you get caught by the police!" He stormed off, leaving Cyros to stare at him.

"Wait!" he called. "You can't leave me! I'm lost!"

"Figure it out yourself!" the boy retorted. "I'm on a mission right now, and you're slowing me down!"

"I'm on a mission, too!" Cyros shouted frantically. "To save the world! Don't you see? I'm the Lost Prince of Zenith!"

The teenager turned around and stared at Cyros. Their eyes met, and he stared into those brown eyes, eyes filled with pain. They stared at each other, for a brief moment united in their goals.

Then the teenager threw back his head and laughed.

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for?" he smirked. "The prince of Zenith is _dead_! He was born a thousand years ago!"

"It's true!" Cyros insisted. "I was trapped in the ice for a thousand years!

"Okay, Your Highness." The boy crossed his arms. "How do you explain how you went missing for _a thousand years_?"

"A thousand years ago, an ice-dragon of Omega froze me," Cyros explained. "But since I have special powers, I was able to stop the ice from hurting me. Look!" He created a prism in his hands.

The boy's eyes widened as he stared at the orange prism, and then he stared at Cyros. "You – you" – he stuttered.

"That's right," Cyros grinned. "I've got the power of Prism-Making! And I'm gonna use it to save Zenith."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you." The teenager turned abruptly and stalked off. Cyros stared at him in horror, and then skidded after.

"Wait!" he called. This time, the boy ignored him, and still walked off. "You've got to help me save Zenith! Don't you see the state of this place? We've gotta fix it!"

The boy continued to walk. For the first time, Cyros felt a surge of anger, fury that someone could so callously disregard the ramshackle state of his home. He ran up to him.

"Don't you see?" he shouted. "The whole world is in danger, and you're doing _nothing _about it! My _Sestra _would be so angry with you if she knew! You – you're being so mean right now!"

"How _dare _you talk to me like that?" the boy suddenly screamed, turning around. "You're nothing but a _child_! You haven't seen the world the way I have! My girlfriend is in danger, and I won't stop to" –

"You're being awful right now!" Cyros screamed back. "When I find my friend Tecna, I'm gonna tell her about how mean you were!"

There was a long silence. Then the boy grabbed Cyros's shoulders, shaking him roughly. Cyros gasped as he stared up at him. The boy glared down, his eyes darkening.

"Where. Is. She?" he whispered. His voice was quieter than he'd ever heard it, but the deadliness in it made it sharp, like a knife. "Where has she gone?"

"Some witches kidnapped her from Omega," Cyros answered urgently. "I snuck atop their spaceship, but fell out before I could find out where they were going. I landed here."

The boy smacked himself in the forehead. Cyros winced as he abruptly let go of him, and he crashed down to the pavement. Falling to his knees, the orange-haired boy stared at a device in his hands.

A red dot was on the screen. Cyros could make out the words "Kremniy Laboratory" on it, though he had no idea what kind of device this was; until two hours ago, he'd never even _seen _a device in his life. He stared at it in astonishment, just at the same time the boy's eyes widened.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing Cyros by the arm.

"Wait!" Cyros yelped. "What're you doing?"

"I'm taking you to find her!" the boy snapped back. "She's being held in the Kremniy Laboratory, and I have to save her! And you're coming with me until I find her!" He dragged Cyros on the ground.

Cyros tried to pull away, but the youth was too strong. _This doesn't sound like a good idea… _He couldn't see this plan succeeding. He swallowed, wondering what in the worlds they were doing to Tecna –

Suddenly, he was blasted to the ground. He let out a yelp as the other boy was thrown to the side, both of them hitting the ground. His blood turned cold as he heard a drawl above them. "Going somewhere?"

* * *

_Present-time_

Tecna raced down the hall, trying to keep as low of a profile as possible. Which was hard to do, considering that she had just broken out of her prison. Any moment now, someone would raise the alarm and stop her escape.

_But before I leave – there's just one thing I have to do. _She had to find the antidote to the disease, so that she could liberate Linphea. _Assuming I get out of here. _Which, of course, she had to. She had to leave this realm and find her friends, so that she could save the Magical Dimension.

She thought she knew the way towards the circular room. She just had to go through the door in front of her, then fly down the corridor and take a left, a right, and then another right, until she reached it. _Yes, that should work. _Feeling confident, she pushed it open, but then froze at who she saw.

"Mother? Father?" she breathed.

The door slammed shut. Tecna stared at her parents, who were both bound and gagged against the wall. _What happened? _She ran to them.

"Wake up!" She shook her mother's shoulders roughly. _Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be –_

"What?" her mother's voice said groggily. "What in the" – She froze as soon as she saw her daughter, exclaiming in shock. "Anastasia!"

"You're alive?" her father breathed, opening his eyes.

"I am," Tecna answered. "I was in Omega all this time – the witches came and captured me."

Her father looked horrified. "They trapped you in this miserable place too?"  
"You have to leave here immediately," Tecna's mother said urgently. "Igor – he betrayed us, Anastasia. And now that Valtor has taken over Zenith, the circumstances are worse than ever" –

"I know all about that," Tecna interrupted. "But it's worse than any of that, Father. Vasiliev created a disease, one that'll wipe out the entire population of Linphea. I have to stop him!"

Her father looked horrified. "A disease to kill all of Linphea?" he whispered. "How could I – how could I have possibly" –

"Father, please don't blame yourself," Tecna whispered. "It wasn't your fault. I don't want you to" –

"It _is _my fault, Tecna." Her father placed his hands on her shoulders. "I should never have sent you to work with him. I should never have let you go through the torture that you did. You went from being a happy girl to a miserable, terrified one. At first, I thought that was normal – after all, I had seen our neighbors' children go through the same ageing process, and I thought it best not to complain. After all, living in this godforsaken realm, happiness is very, very scarce."

"We only ever wanted the best for you, Tecna," her mother added. "We wanted you to succeed and be able to find a living for yourself, which, as you know, is very, very hard to do in this realm. We had to instill in you the importance of emotionlessness and drive, because that was what we were brought up to believe in. But now I realize – I realize" – Her voice began to choke up. "I realize it was all one big lie."

"You have plenty of drive," her father added, "and also plenty of humanity. Your sacrifice for the Magical Dimension was incredible. And we've realized that you haven't grown to be the strong, beautiful woman you are today in spite of your emotions. You've grown _because _of them. And I want you to know that we will always" – he paused before saying the unfamiliar words – "love you."

"We just hope you can forgive us for all we've done, Nassy," her mother whispered.

Tecna felt tears come to her eyes. _We love you… _Words that had never been spoken in her childhood, from parents that were forced to act like robots. Words that had been so foreign when she'd uttered them to Timmy last winter, in the Resort Realm. And yet, they sounded so natural and right on her tongue.

In one moment, all of the anger and resentment she'd felt towards her parents as a child completely vanished. _They were products of the system just as much as I was… _And now, if she and her friends could overthrow Valtor and reinstall Cyros on the throne, then they could dismantle that system for good.

"Of course I forgive you," she whispered.

There was a silence. Then her father looked up and said, "There's something else you need to kn" –

Suddenly, the wail of an alarm pierced through the air. Tecna jumped in shock as a strobe-light gleamed red. She turned to her parents, whose eyes were narrowed.

"You need to get out of here, _now_," her mother said urgently. "There's no time to waste!"

"Take the mecha-suit over there," her mother said, pointing to a suit on the wall. "It'll hide you."

Tecna fit into the suit, strapping herself tightly. The suit had wireless connections to the other robots – she could see the distress signal within. PRISONER BROKEN OUT OF SOUTH WING.

"They just found out that I broke out," she realized. "I have to go." She gazed tearfully at her parents, who smiled sadly at her.

"Please, go," her father whispered. "Do what it is you need to do."

Tecna smiled as she exited the room, her eyes filling with tears. At least one good thing had happened; all the other robots and guards would be heading south, while she headed due north. And no one would be there to stop her.

For she was going to enter the circular room. She was going to find the antidote and bring it with her to Linphea, and end this for once and for all. Eyes set with determination, she headed down the corridor.

_Just a few more turns… _The robot suit allowed her to move faster than before, and so she effortlessly made it to the front of the chamber, unguarded and alone…

Suddenly, two guards jumped in and slashed her in the shoulder. Tecna fell, gasping in pain at the sudden attack. One of the guards roughly picked her up and glared at her. "State your model number and purpose."

Tecna scanned the robot's wiring for the model number and found it instantly. Keeping a level, emotionless voice, she said, "Number 29309203, here to relieve you from guard."

"Under whose orders?" the second guard demanded.

"Lord Valtor," Tecna responded. "Head to location of prison riot. Eight hundred meters south, three hundred meters west." She hoped those numbers were accurate – or at least, close to accurate.

"We received the distress signal," the guard answered. "But we must stay here and guard the chamber."

Tecna fought waves of panic. _No, they can't stay here… _She forced her emotionless voice back, and simply stated, "Cannot compute."

The guards exchanged an uncomfortable look, and Tecna knew what they were thinking. If they stayed near the chamber when Valtor had ordered them to quell a prison riot, they would be in big trouble. Finally, the first guard sighed.

"Let's go," he said. Shooting Tecna one last glance, they ran off, leaving the chamber completely unguarded.

_Finally_, thought Tecna as she focused her energy on the lock-system. It was similar to the system as in Omega, except with many more twists and turns. Eventually, she undid it completely, and ran into the chamber, throwing the robot-suit aside.

It looked the same as she'd seen it, eight years before. The purple test-tubes still glowed menacingly around the room, and there was still the single, destructive chair. Everything looked just as horrifying as in Tecna's childhood memories.

But something was off about this. There was something here that was very, very wrong.

"Looking for this?" a voice behind her said. She turned around immediately, freezing in horror as soon as she saw who it was.

Valtor was standing in front of her, the devious smirk still on his face. He floated down towards her, and she backed in fear. She stared at what was in his hands, and gasped.

He was holding a golden vial.

"The antidote!" Tecna shouted.

She flew towards him, shooting an attack spell at him. Instead, he dodged, and it hit the Impenetrable glass.

"You're just as foolish as your friends," he laughed. "They tried to kill me on Linphea, which they, of course, failed. And now, there is no one who will get in my way."

"Where is the disease?" Tecna snarled. "What have you done with it?"

"You're too late," Valtor answered. "The Trix may have been fools, but they were good for one thing at least. They released it into Magix three days ago. And now, the United Realms will face my wrath!" He let out a laugh.

Tecna's knees buckled. _It can't be… no… _Fury overtook her, and she screamed. A horrifying, painful, and angry scream that rattled the walls of what had once been her prison.

At that moment, all logic and reason ceased to exist. She shot towards him, willing to do _anything _to unleash her fury – hex him, shake him, throttle him. Valtor simply moved to the side, unfazed.

"If you think you can do anything, then you're a fool," he laughed. "The disease is already spreading in Magix – one-hundred people are infected now, thanks to yesterday's foolish New Year's Eve celebrations. Its symptoms are not concerning – not at first, anyways."

Tecna couldn't believe it. _The New Year… it's going to be marked with such horror… _She glared at him, her eyes narrowing.

"You," she snarled, "_give me the_" –

"You mean this?" Valtor smirked, holding the antidote. His eyes glowed red, and Dragon Fire swirled around the vial.

Tecna watched in horror as the glass erupted, and the contents inside completely evaporated.

"No!" she cried, falling to the floor.

_This is it… the last hope for survival, all gone… _She let out a groan as she collapsed on the glass floor.

Something was wrong. She felt weak, similar to how she'd felt that horrible week before the Omega Portal. _What's going on… what's happening to me?_

Above her, she felt Valtor grabbing her, pulling her up. She opened her eyes and stared at him, at the horrible, monstrous look on his face. It was one of pure, sadistic determination to end the world, and everything it stood for.

"Now the whole world will see the wrath of Basan the Great," he snarled. "But instead of being King of Domino, I shall be Emperor of the Magical Dimension. No one will destroy me, do you hear me? Not even the Ancestresses will dismantle me! I will be far greater than all of my predecessors, including Valtor Alexandrov!"

_What is he talking about? _Tecna thought. _And why is he so worried about the Ancestresses? They're _dead_! _Why was Valtor so unhinged when he was normally so calculated? Then the monstrous face disappeared, replaced by a sadistic mask.

"I am sure the guards are looking for you," he smiled. "But I will let you leave. You can go and warn your precious friends about your situation if you wish – I won't stop you."

Tecna stared in confusion as a portal appeared in front of her. _What? _Valtor smiled and picked her up, forcing her into a standing position.

"It'll take you to the street," he said. "Right outside of here. Now go." He pushed her into the portal.

She gasped as she stumbled through it, through space and time. Then she was ejected out of the other side, slamming unceremoniously into the darkness. She was in a dark, deserted alleyway, where no one else was around.

She struggled to her arms, trying to pick herself up. _What's happened to me… what am I doing? _She stared down at herself, but couldn't make anything out in the dim light.

She felt weak and miserable. Her throat was beginning to feel scratchy, and she let out a feverish cough. _I haven't been sick in ages – why –_

And then it hit her like stone.

There was a reason why he'd let her go so easily. He'd let her go because he knew she wouldn't reach Magix, or ever warn her friends. The circular room had been flowing with contaminants for quite some time now, and now the antidote was destroyed.

_She had the disease_.

"No," Tecna whispered. "This can't be, I have to warn my – no!" she cried as a spasm overtook her.

She collapsed to the ground. Everything was beginning to cease function. First her toes and fingers immobilized, then her legs and arms, and then her thighs and shoulders. Her breath was coming out in short gasps, and her head was spinning.

_I'm sorry, everyone_, she thought. _I'm sorry, Digit; I'm sorry, Cyros; I'm sorry, Timmy; I'm sorry, Flora –_

And then, blackness overtook her, and she felt nothing but the endless, deadening gravity of what she'd done.

* * *

**Just when we thought Tecna was out of the clear… she gets screwed over again****…**

**Next chapter:**

\- **The disease rapidly spreads around Magix.**

\- **Mirta meets her mother again.**

\- **She receives help from a surprising someone.**

**Hope that wasn't too dark or offputting. I hope to see you soon!**


	42. Chapter 39: Quarantine, Part 1

**Previously on AUP...**

**_"I haven't told my parents anything yet," Mirta admitted._**

**_ "They don't know you transitioned?" Flora was shocked. "Mirta, I thought you'd told them!"_**

**_ "I – I didn't," Mirta looked ready to cry. "I knew if I told them, they'd do everything in their power to stop it._**

**_ "That – that's" – Flora breathed. "Are – are you sure they" –_**

**_ "I'm sure," Mirta interrupted her. "They think I'm staying the summer on internship with Griffin."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"How brave," Icy sneered. "A pixie. That delightful orange color of your skirt matches your pumpkin perfectly. We can do it again." She lifted her hands._**

**_Mirta cried as she felt Icy's energy compressing her, pushing her to the ground. Her breath coming out through her stalk, as she lay motionless and helpless on the ground –_**

**_"No!" Mirta exploded, and she turned Icy's spell out._**

**_A crash sounded near her. Opening her eyes, Mirta turned around and stared._**

**_Darcy and Stormy were two ugly, gigantic, hideously orange pumpkins._** **_Eris's mouth was agape as she goggled at Mirta, at a complete loss-for-words, tied up against the wall._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ "Here we go," Icy laughed. The robot climbed onto the surface of the ship's exterior and pointed the tube to the outside, firing into the air._**

**_ The blow didn't sound. Unlike other types of weaponry, this one was silent and invisible; the virus simply dispensed over Magix like an invisible vapor. The Trix let out a demonic laugh._**

**_ "Magix soon will fall," Icy whispered, "and Valtor will be next. And then, we will rule the whole world."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 39: QUARANTINE, PART I

Now, the days passed quicker than ever. For the third year in a row, the girls testified at the Trix's trial, and they were sentenced to life in Oblivion. The UR schools were making arrangements to give the students back their winter break, which they'd lost after Valtor's army had attacked.

Faragonda walked with Griffin, gazing around at her students. They all seemed cheerful, and were happily chatting on the quad. No one seemed worried at all.

But something was off. Faragonda could sense that, despite the cheerfulness, something inside of her was telling her to not stop worrying. That no matter what, there was always something going on.

"Strange, isn't it," Griffin remarked, uncharacteristically cheerfully, as they walked around the compound. "Only a week ago, all seemed to be lost, and now, everything is back to normal. Almost as if nothing happened."

"Not quite." Faragonda frowned, gazing at the ground. "It would make me feel much better if we knew exactly what had happened to Valtor."

"You've _always _been too much of a worrier," Griffin sighed, "even back when you were a student here. You worried about rivalry between our sister schools, your failing grades" –

"So you feel confident that Valtor is gone for good." Faragonda faced the witch, who frowned. "Listen, all of our students have let their guard down. If something were to happen, we would be in no position to defend ourselves."

They walked towards the center of the quad. Bloom was sitting on the lawn, the bright sun not cheering her up at all. She appeared deep in thought, staring at the ground. Her bunny, Kiko, tried catching her attention, but she didn't even notice him.

_Not a good sign. _She placed her hand on Bloom's shoulder. The young fairy jumped, staring up at Faragonda.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Faragonda tried to smile reassuringly, but she knew something was wrong. Griffin stood behind her, frowning.

"Oh, sorry," Bloom said sheepishly. "I didn't hear you."

"Is something wrong?"

Bloom was averting her gaze from Faragonda's questioning glance. "No. I just have this… feeling." She frowned and gazed at the ground.

"It's about Valtor, isn't it?" Faragonda asked shrewdly.

"I could be wrong," Bloom whispered, "but I still sense his presence. We are linked by the Dragon Fire, and I can still feel his burning."

"Bloom, listen," Faragonda commanded, and the Dominian fairy reluctantly met her eyes. "It's not what any of us want to believe, but if you can still sense his presence, there can be no doubt: Valtor is coming back."

* * *

That day was one nobody in Magix would ever forget. Just like the attack on Apo had been devastating for Linphean citizens, this day would be horrifying for all those in Magix. It started off just like any other, but with one important caveat – school was finally letting out.

"Nabu's coming here!" Layla grinned. "We have hotel-rooms booked in Magix, and we're going to be hanging out for the week. I can't wait to see him!"

"I seem to remember you sayin' you hated boys," Stella smirked. "What happened to that _now_?"

"Yeah," Musa agreed. "Do ya like him, Lay? 'Cause it sounds like you do."

"Stop," Layla said, her cheeks heating up. "We're just meeting up as friends, okay? There's nothing going on between" –

She stopped as Flora, Layla, Stella, and Musa each cast her sly looks. Sighing, she threw her suitcase down to the ground.

"Okay, okay!" she cried out. "I like him. At first, I hated his cockiness, but there's just something so nice about him. When we talk, he respects what I have to say, and he's a lot of fun to hang out with, too."

"You should ask him out," Flora suggested. "It'll be a lot of fun."

"I guess so," Layla said, looking shy. "Let's go." She picked up her bags and began to head out the door.

"Sure ya'll be 'kay, Flo, hangin' out at Alfea?" Musa asked as they headed down to the quad.

"I'll be fine," Flora assured her. "I do this every year, and besides, I won't be alone. Mirta and Bloom are staying back, too. Bloom can't afford an interrealm flight back home, and Mirta – well, her home situation" – She frowned.

"Her parents _still _haven't responded to her letter?"

The school gates were locked. The students were gathered on the quad, looking confused. Griselda was standing at the other side of the gate, with a witch next to her. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be a doctor.

"What's going on?" Musa demanded. In front of them, Bloom turned around.

"Beats me," she answered. "Apparently there's some kind of holdup getting out of here."

A bad feeling started to settle in Flora's gut. She stared up at the witch, who somehow looked familiar. She was wearing antiseptic gloves and a mask, and was yelling at everyone to stand six feet apart.

"You'd think the Plague was going on, the way people are acting," Musa muttered.

"Wait a minute – there _is _a contagion," Layla said, frowning. "Didn't you read about it in the news lately? Last week, there was an unidentified outbreak reported in the city. Health-officials were trying to investigate, but didn't come up with anything."

"But that can't be what this is about, right?" Flora asked nervously. "That was so minor. Those people are all being treated at Ganga Hospi" –

"What's going on?" Mirta thudded down the steps, running behind them. "I heard there was" – She stopped as soon as she saw the witch doctor, and let out a gasp.

Flora stared over at the witch, who had finally noticed Mirta, and was staring at her with narrowed eyes. _Of course… _Her eyes were the exact same shape as Mirta's, and she had the same thin lips and freckled face. "Mother?"

"Good to see you, after all these years," her mother said coldly. "We were wondering what you were doing with your _education_." She spat out the word.

Flora looked nervously around. All of the students were staring at the woman and at Mirta, and she heard whispers about the drama. Musa quickly stepped forward.

"Can someone please tell us what in Symphonia's name is goin' on?" she demanded.

"Certainly," a voice behind them called. Headmistress Faragonda was walking down the steps, her eyes narrowed in worry. "But first, Dr. Nakamura – the testing, please."

"Testing for _what_?" Layla demanded.

The doctor didn't answer. Instead, she stared into the ground. "All Linphean girls must be tested."

_Okay_, thought Flora as she, Priscilla, and María walked up to her. The Whisperian doctor inserted a needle into a disinfecting solvent and attached it to a device. Flora held her arm out, wincing as the needle pricked her skin. She breathed a sigh of relief as the word NEGATIVE flashed across the screen.

"This device only has enough power to test twenty girls. Once the Linphean students are done, I will see who else needs testing." She pointed to spray-bottles of antiseptic potion. "Transform and start spraying the towers." She turned to Griselda. "Make some kind of announcement. Get all the students to come here."

Flora transformed and flew to the tower, spraying it with the potion. After María and Priscilla were done, Mirta's mother tested all those who were immunocompromised. Her friends flew up to her, each with a spray-bottle.

"Where's Bloom?" Mirta asked.

"She just arrived," Layla said, pointing to the redhead, who had just left her dorm-room and was staring at everyone in confusion.

"What's going on?" Amore fretted. "Why has this happened?"

_This is sounding worse and worse_, thought Flora, gazing around. She stared at the line of girls who were coming in.

No one tested positive. All the students who were tested were okay, not showing any symptoms. _But that's only twenty of us. _She frowned, continuing to spray the towers.

Finally, they all finished spraying and congregated on the quad. Faragonda, the staff, and Mirta's mother were standing together. Faragonda let out a sigh as she gazed at the girls.

"As you all know, an unidentified outbreak has occurred in Magix City," she said. "However, scientists have discovered that it is extremely deadly, with a near thirty-percent fatality rate. This disease, _respiratoriorum typhoonis_, is part of a class of respiratory viruses, and has similar symptoms to that of the common-cold. Out of approximately three-hundred people who've been infected, eighty-six have died. It is spreading rapidly, and no one knows when it'll end."

Flora gasped. _So many people… _And they were expecting _more _to be infected? The girls gasped in horror.

"This is why I am bringing you all back here," Faragonda said. "You are needed to remain here, and no one is leaving for a good amount of time. Possibly not even at the end of the year."

"So you're just going to keep us locked in here?" Amaryl suddenly asked. Everyone gaped at her in shock, but she wasn't finished. "Locked inside of here so" –

"So we can save your lives," Dr. Nakamura said coldly. Faragonda frowned at Amaryl, and the fairy shut her mouth.

"Throughout this year, we've put you all through curfews," she said, "and now, we're keeping you under lockdown. It's going to be unlike anything we've ever seen before, but we're all going to have to work together to make it work."

"Why can't we go home?" Fatima called. "Why are we stuck here?"

"All of the realms have closed their borders," the doctor answered, in the same sharp, brittle voice. "No commercial flight will take you home; your parents will have to come and get you. If they don't, then you'll have to wait if and when a repatriation-flight comes."

Flora and Bloom gazed uncertainly at each other. Neither of their parents were going to bail them out, and they might not be able to afford a repatriation flight. Layla, Musa, and Stella looked less uncertain, but still worried as they gazed upwards.

"The Magixian students will be going home," Faragonda said, and the Magixian students on-campus breathed a sigh of relief. "The rest of you, however – you have to stay. The staff and I will try to construct a barrier to keep contagion out."

"Your barrier to protect us from Valtor and the Trix was useless," Colleen shouted. "How is a disease-blocking barrier going to work?"

There were shouts of agreement at this. Faragonda raised her hand for silence.

"That is enough," she said, in a stern voice. "I can't tell you I know everything, but we _will _make it work. We are Alfea students, and I _know _we will get through this." She turned towards Dr. Nakamura. "Before they go, would you be so kind as to give them some of the information they're so impatient for?"

"We do not have much information about _respiratoriom typhoonis _– not enough to satisfy these children, anyways," Mirta's mother said dismissively. A few of the girls bristled, not in the least Mirta. "However, we do know the type; this is a biological virus."

Flora stared in shock. There were two types of viruses; magical and biological. While magical viruses preyed on one's magical source, killing someone by depleting him or her of power, biological viruses affected one's physical organs. Both were extremely deadly, but while magical viruses had a much lower survival-rate, biological viruses were much more contagious, and could affect non-magical fairy-men as well. In a densely-populated city such as Magix, where fairy-men made up a good fraction of the population, biological viruses were an absolute nightmare.

"In our short time of research," she continued, "we've found that it specifically affects Linphean people. In fact, ninety-percent of the fatalities are from people of Linphean descent."

_So _that's _why Mirta's mother called all Linphean students to the front! _Flora realized. _But I don't understand! Why would this happen? How would anyone –_

"The UR Defense School Board has come up with rules for all of the students here," she added. "As you should know by now, the Mayor of Magix passed an executive order yesterday, ordering all schools to close."

No, Flora hadn't known that; everyone had been too busy celebrating Valtor's defeat. She stared in shock.

"However, as this is an interrealm college, that complicates things," the woman continued on. "As ninety-three percent of UR Defense students are not from Magix, certain measures will have to be taken. Those of you not of Magix will stay here, following many adapted rules."

"We will be giving you the full list in a few hours." Griselda had taken charge. "Now, go back to your dorms and spray them with the potion. Do not leave your apartment until further notice."

The meeting ended. The girls all stared at each other in disbelief.

"I don't understand," Layla whispered. "What is going on?"

"We're stuck here for another _two months_?" Musa whispered in dismay.

"Not if I can help it," Stella said firmly. "My dad will send a flight here as soon as I call. He'll bring all of us back to Solaria!"

"We'd better get back inside," Bloom said. "Come on, let's go back to the apartment."

Mirta headed to the apartment she shared with Nova. The remaining five girls sprayed their apartment, making sure to disinfect every surface possible. Bloom, Musa, and Layla contacted their boyfriends, who said that they were in lockdown as well.

"My father wants to send a transport to get me out immediately," Sky said on the other side.

"So is mine," Layla added. "Baba said he's sending one immediately. It should be here by tomorrow morning."

"Maybe you could take your squad of Specialists home with you," Stella suggested. "I could take Bloom and Musa, and Layla, you could take Flora and Mirta" –

"I don't know if that's going to work, Stell," Layla frowned. "There're so many strict laws about this. Royalty is one thing – but other people" –

"We've got to do this!" Stella said firmly. "I'm not leaving you guys behind!"

For the first time since hearing the news, Flora felt a glimmer of hope. _Maybe we can get out of here – and I can head back home to my family again._

* * *

"All students must remain in their apartments as much as possible, except for meals and daily exercise."

"When seated in the Great Hall, students must sit two meters apart from each other, and sit with their roommates only. No touching is allowed."

"All lessons will be live-streamed online. Students will attend lectures through our video-conferencing software, Vroom."

"Face-masks and gloves must be worn at all times when outside one's apartment."

"So we're supposed to wear the mask while _eating_?" Stella asked disgustedly as they walked down to the Great Hall. "I'm telling you, people are paranoid!"

"I don't know, Stell," Flora frowned. "An awful lot of people have died from this."

The number of cases seemed to have jumped overnight. The entirety of Magix City was in total lockdown, and _respiratoriom typhoonis_ – or Typhoon, as everyone was calling it – was spreading to the rural areas of the realm. Although other realms had reported minimal numbers of cases, the situation was terrible on Magix. Every day, hundreds of cases surfaced.

And many of the people with the virus were dying. It was disproportionately affecting the elderly, the poor, and Linpheans. Flora had to be extra-careful to make sure she wasn't affected by the disease. Every day, she made sure to wash her hands and to be very careful about what she touched.

"I mean, it's like a funeral inside here," Stella continued. "Look!" She pointed at the Great Hall.

Flora stared. All of the tables were spaced far, far apart, with only four or six chairs per table. A number was placed on each of the tables. She realized that it contained their apartment-number.

"We're 3F," she said. "Come on." They walked towards their assigned table.

Each of the apartments was assigned on a number and letter basis. Since there were forty-eight students in the senior class, and four to six students were in each apartment, there were ten apartments for the senior total. The '3' at the front signified their year, and the letter afterwards was chosen randomly, from A to J, in their case. She looked and saw that the other students were finding their places as well.

"Flora!" she heard Mirta call from the other side of the hall. The Whisperian fairy was seated at table 1C with Nova, Galatea, and Alice. "How're you doing?"

"As well as I can," Flora called back. Others turned around to stare at them. "I really miss" –

"Silence!" Griselda barked. "Socialize with your roommates only! You can talk to each other later on the phone. Flora, as a senior, you should be setting an example for your fellow students!"

Flora felt tears prick her eyes. Turning around, she sat at the table with her friends, all of whom looked worried.

"I can taste hand-sanitizer in my food," Layla said disgustedly.

"Good news!" Stella called, startling them all. "My spacecraft is coming to pick us up right after breakfast! Everyone, eat up – we're going to Solaria!"

"Sounds good," Musa grinned.

"What about Mirta?" Flora asked anxiously, not able to bear the thought of being separated from her.

"We'll figure it out," Stella grinned. "Sky's bringing his boys over to Eraklyon, and we'll figure out a way to have a big party! You'll see."

"Alright, let's go!" Bloom cheered. Finishing their breakfast, they headed out to the quad, putting their facemasks on. Mirta followed them, though made sure to keep her distance as instructed by Griselda.

A spaceship landed on the tarmac in front of Alfea. A stout man with golden hair and a moustache, who Flora recognized as Sir Marco, walked out of the spacecraft. His eyes widened as he saw Stella, from the other side of the gate.

"Your Highness," he said, "I must take you home immediately. Where is your headmistress? You need to sign yourself out."

"Sure," Stella grinned. "I'm signing these five out, too." She grinned and pointed at the other girls.

Marco's eyes widened as he stared at them.

"There's been a mistake," he said. "I don't know what you were informed, but Solaria's quarantine laws won't allow foreigners to enter our realm. Only you. These five cannot come."

"_What_?" Stella gasped, her hands on her hips. "I'm not leaving without them! They're my friends!"

"His Majesty won't allow it," Marco answered. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"What's going on?" Flora turned around and saw Griselda running towards the group of girls. "Why is this man here?"

Stella glared at Marco, turning around.

"Fine, then!" she yelled. "If my friends can't leave Magix, then neither will I! I'm staying right with them!"

"I'm not going anywhere, either," Layla added. "I'll call home and tell Baba thanks, but no thanks. I'm not leaving the realm."

"Guys, don't be stupid," Musa said urgently. "Ya have a chance ta get out, so _get out_. Don't be waitin' for us."

"Friends stick with friends," Stella said firmly. "Sorry, Marco." She turned around and stalked into the castle.

* * *

The next few weeks put a major strain on the girls. Bloom, Stella, and Musa fretted about not being able to see their boyfriends in-person. Sky had also refused to go home, and therefore, they were all stuck in Magix.

All around them, the death toll was rising. Their reactions were all very mixed about the virus. While Bloom and Flora felt that the distancing requirements were necessary to save lives, Musa and Layla were skeptical that it was even working. And as for Stella, she flat-out ignored many of the rules, not wearing a mask outside their apartment.

"You're gonna get caught," Musa told her. "Ya know what Griselda said, right? You'll be locked in one of the detention-rooms for a week if ya don't wear a mask."

"I don't care," Stella said, defiantly. "These rules are pointless. None of us here are even affected by Typhoon! It's been a week and none of us is ill!"

"Yeah, but they don't have enough tests for everyone," Digit said. "In addition, you can carry the virus for up to two weeks, without passing it on to anyone. The average recovery-time, so far, has been within one week to three weeks – if you recover at all."

"But none of us is likely to get it," Stella pointed out.

"You're being so immature about this, Stell," Bloom said from her spot on the sofa. "So many people have died from this, and all you can do is whine and complain?"

"I'm just being realistic!" Stella fired back. "We should be able to move around on campus at the very least. The people who have the virus are much older."

"So you think it's okay for old people to get sick?" Tune snapped. "How rude of you! Do you not know how to respect your" –

"Of course I care!" Stella snapped. "But there's no point in living in fear!"

"Stella's got a point, you know," Layla said. "We're probably not going to get it, so we shouldn't panic so much. I think the whole mask-requirement should be lifted."

"But as Digit said, you can carry the disease without even knowing it," Flora said worriedly. "So what if one of us has it without even knowing it?"

"Exactly," Bloom agreed. "If Flora or Priscilla or María get it, it's a death-sentence. We have to make sure to be extra-careful for their sake." She lighting touched Flora's shoulder.

No one could argue with that. Nonetheless, it was proving miserable to be cooped up all the time, without any course of action.

Mirta's parents showed up one day at Alfea to check on a girl who'd been sick. After testing her and finding she didn't have Typhoon, they let her go. But before stopping, they ran into Flora and Mirta, who had gone together on their daily walk.

Flora had never seen Mirta's father before, and at one glance, she wanted to hide. He had dark hair, just like his wife, and cold, narrow eyes. They glared at Mirta, and she swallowed, nervously backing away.

"Mirta," her father said, his eyes cold. "I think it is time we had a talk."

Flora didn't know whether to stay or leave. She didn't want to get involved in Mirta's conflict, but she didn't want to leave her alone, either. In the end, she stayed, keeping her distance from the family.

Mirta's mother's eyes narrowed as she glared down at her daughter. "Tell me exactly why you lied to us," she said coldly, not bothering to switch from the Common Tongue.

"Why did you want to become a fairy?" her father snarled.

"How could you toss the Nakamura family's creed away?"

"After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us?"

It was starting to make a scene. Girls on the quad turned around and stared at Mirta and her parents. Everywhere she looked, Flora caught whispering, staring, and pointing.

_Where're Faragonda and the teachers? _Surely they wouldn't let this go on, would they? But they were nowhere to be seen. Clearly, they were too busy to deal with this.

"Listen, Mother, Father." Mirta finally managed to get a word in. "I'm sorry for lying to you about my transformation. But I wasn't ready to tell you" –

"_What do you mean _you weren't ready to tell us?" Mirta's father demanded. "You used someone else's money to go through with the transformation – all so you could become a _fairy_! Do you have any idea how embarrassed we are?"

"Oh, so this is all about _you_, isn't it?" Mirta was finally yelling, something Flora had rarely heard her do before. "About how _you _don't know how to hide this from your friends now? You don't care about _me _– you just care about how this looks to the outside world!"

"Well, maybe if you caused less trouble, it wouldn't be a problem" –

"Well, I didn't cause you any trouble for the last two years! Aren't you happy?"

On and on they continued screaming. Flora wasn't sure she wanted to stay for the remainder of this; it was getting unbearably toxic. She let out a sigh.

"What's going on" – Musa had arrived next to Flora, and was staring at the fighting. "Oh," she said flatly.

"Did your parents ever yell at you like this?" Flora whispered.

"Only my dad," Musa answered. "After Mama died, my dad yelled at me for singing around the house, or doing anything that resembled my mom. The only difference was that I yelled back. Every few weeks, our whole house became a tornado."

Flora shuddered. Her parents, brought up as pacifists for generations, did not believe in shouting at their children; although they did express their disappointment when Flora or Miele stepped out of line, they never raised their voices.

"Don't worry," Musa advised. "This is all part of the healing process. They'll scream, get their emotions out, and then they'll apologize."

"Where is everyone?" Flora asked. "Why aren't the teachers stopping this?"

"Faragonda has gone to Magix to speak at the UR Defense meeting." Layla had appeared behind Musa. "The professors are all inside the building, helping Ofelia and comforting students every time someone new is taken to the hospital. Oh yeah, and they're trying to teach classes, too." She let out a sigh. "Not that this fighting makes the situation any" –

"Hey, knock it off!"

Flora jumped and turned around. A familiar Eraklyonese girl was walking towards the family, glaring at Mirta's parents.

_Eris? _thought Flora. _What's she doing here? _She stared at her in bewilderment as Eris glared at the two warlocks.

"We're all worried sick!" she yelled. "We don't need this! If you're not going to help us, then _go_!"

Mirta's parents exchanged looks. Then they let out a sigh.

"We're done here," Mirta's father said, glaring at Mirta. They turned around and stalked towards the exit from Alfea.

"Th-thanks, Eris," Mirta said in shock, staring at the girl.

Eris's cheeks turned red. "Hey, why're you thanking _me_? _You're _the one who saved my life when Stormy held me captive." She looked at the ground.

"Eris" –

"I know what you expect me to do," Eris interrupted. "You expect me to continue giving you the cold-shoulder, and start bullying you in the halls again. I get it. I'm a jerk, and I lost all my friends 'cause of it. I know how it feels when people stop caring for you." She let out a sigh.

"I didn't say you were," Mirta protested. "I'm just kind of, well" –

"Surprised?" Eris let out a bitter laugh. "You know, I kind of envy you. You always seemed so content with yourself, so _happy_. You had the best friends and people around you to support you. I never really had any real friends, to be honest. I guess, when I was mad at you, I was just mainly – well, _jealous_."

"That shows how much you know about me," Mirta answered. "You have no idea what kind of struggles I've been through just to get to this point. It's only now that it's even paying off – well, not really." She sighed, and Flora knew she was thinking about the disease.

"Did I ever say it was easy for you?" Eris snapped. "It hasn't exactly been easy for _me_, if you want to know. But I wanted to say, well" –

"Just spit it out, Eris," Layla said from behind.

"I don't get you, girl," Eris said. "And I probably never will. But that doesn't matter now. Magix has a crisis on its hands, and we've gotta stick together if we wanna make it out. Doesn't matter who we are. We're gonna defeat Valtor, and show him who's boss!"

As she spoke, a lavender aura surrounded her. Eris stared down at herself, and let out a gasp of alarm. "What's happening to me?"

"I don't know," Mirta answered, looking startled.

"Don't worry!" Flora shouted, realizing what it was. "Just let it happen! Feel the goodness running through you!"

Eris gasped as a blinding white flash overtook her. Flora, Mirta, Musa, and Layla shielded their eyes. When it had passed, they opened their eyes and stared at the fairy in front of them.

Eris was still wearing her sparkling gray top and miniskirt; however, there was something new about her appearance. In particular, the silvery brooch on her chest. Shaped like a diamond, it had amethyst jewels on the end, glinting beautifully against the gray.

"You got your Charmix!" Mirta gasped in amazement.

"Great job!" Musa cheered. "That's awesome, Eris!"

Eris smiled, reverting back to her civilian form. "I guess something good came out of this exchange."

It didn't solve anything, Flora knew. Yes, it made Eris stronger, but it didn't do anything about the situation. It didn't change the fact that hundreds of people were on the verge of death.

But at least it gave them hope. Hope that, as long as they stuck together, they would prevail.

* * *

**From now on, I will be updating every three days. As of now, I have forty-five chapters and an epilogue. I want to post everything by the time of my graduation, which is on July 9. Next chapter will be on Saturday, but the chapter after that will be on Tuesday, then on Friday, and so on, until it's complete.**

**Next chapter:**

– **Cyros and Timmy run into trouble.**

– **Tecna recalls memories of her childhood.**

**See you soon!**


	43. Chapter 40: Memories, Part 1

**Just a warning: this chapter is probably going to be the saddest in the entire story. After this, it will get better. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_Cyros had never wanted to be the prince of Zenith. Leaving his parents behind had been brutal, but his time in Omega, pre-iceberg, had been the best in his life. He'd made some of the best friends in the world._**

**_But they were all gone. And now, the only friend he had left in the entire world was about to depart forever, never to come back. Unless he did something about it._**

**I have to go with them****_, Cyros realized. _****I have to follow my ****Sestra and get out of here, so I can reunite with her again. I have to catch up with them. Somehow, I'm going to make sure we're never separated again!**

** _-o-o-o-_**

**_"Father, please don't blame yourself," Tecna whispered. "It wasn't your fault. I don't want you to" –_**

**_"It is my fault, Tecna." Her father placed his hands on her shoulders. "I should never have sent you to work with him. You went from being a happy girl to a miserable, terrified one. At first, I thought that was normal. After all, living in this realm, happiness is very, very scarce."_**

**_"We only ever wanted the best for you, Tecna," her mother added. "We had to instill in you the importance of emotionlessness and drive, because that was what we were brought up to believe in. But now I realize it was all one big lie."_**

**_"You have plenty of drive," her father added, "and also plenty of humanity. Your sacrifice for the Magical Dimension was incredible. You haven't grown to be the strong, beautiful woman you are today in spite of your emotions. You've grown _****because****_of them. We will always" – he paused before saying the unfamiliar words – "love you."_**

**_ -o-o-o-_**

**_ "I'm taking you to find her!" the boy snapped back. "She's being held in the Kremniy Laboratory, and I have to save her! And you're coming with me until I find her!" He dragged Cyros on the ground._**

**_ Cyros tried to pull away, but the youth was too strong. He couldn't see this plan succeeding. He swallowed, wondering what in the worlds they were doing to Tecna –_**

**_ Suddenly, he was blasted to the ground. His blood turned cold as he heard a drawl above them. "Going somewhere?"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 40: MEMORIES, PART I

_Two weeks earlier_

The next thing he knew, Cyros was hoisted backwards, his breath coming out in short gasps. He heard Timmy's yell as he was pulled back, with no recourse.

Cyros slammed to the ground. Groaning, he tried to pull himself up, but his head was spinning in a million directions. When he finally looked up, he had the shock of his life.

A military robot had thrown them to the ground, and was pointing a blaster directly at them. Behind it were two sheriffs with handcuffs.

"Take them to the van," one of the men ordered.

"Under what charges?" the teen shouted.

"For attempting conspiracy against the government of Zenith," the second man answered. "Under Section 2:1-LSA, it's illegal to talk about royalty." His eyes glowed. "And _especially _to pretend to be a prince."

"Let's see." The first man scrutinized the teenage boy. "You're a wanted member of the Resistance. Timothy Saurya Singh, of Magix – otherwise known as Timmy. Where are your IDs?"

"Don't have one," Timmy spat as the first man held him down.

"It's just as well," the second man answered, expertly handcuffing Timmy. "We'll find your identities soon enough." He glared at Cyros. "And you'll soon get justice for pretending to be Prince Cyros."

_No_, Cyros thought, his head. _I can't get arrested now! I have so much to do! _But he had no choice. He gasped as the men threw him into a truck, every part of his body aching.

_I'm sorry, Sestra… _He looked over at Timmy, whose body was hunched up. _I'm so sorry…_

* * *

Memories swirled through Tecna's head, in a distant whirl of space and time. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, she saw everything that had ever happened and ever existed in her time.

Her entire life flashed through her eyes. She saw herself as a young, naïve kid, speaking to her parents…

_"Mama!" she squealed, running up to her mother._

_ "Yes, Nassy," her mother said absentmindedly. Even before the incident, her parents had still been very aloof and distant – it was how their culture was, after all. But to five-year-old Anastasia, it didn't matter at all. She still had that spark of excitement within her – it hadn't yet been snuffed out._

_ "Look at what I maded!" little Anastasia grinned._

_ She clicked her fingers. A robot, the size of Anastasia herself, began to walk into the room. The robot walked up to her mother, bowing slightly. "Good afternoon, Mama. Can I start cooking?"_

_ "Our robots start cleaning only after we all go to bed," Anastasia's mother said in surprise. "And we already have robots to cook and clean."_

_ "Not anymore!" Anastasia grinned. "Lookie, Mama!"_

_ In amazement, Anastasia's mother followed her through the house. She gasped as she saw the living-room and the bedrooms, all immaculate and pristine._

_ "You did this yourself?" she breathed. "What kind of commands do you have?"_

_ "Simple," Anastasia grinned. "I useded me magic and taughted the robot to clean the house. And to order my clothes in color-order," she added proudly, showing her mother her closet. A rainbow of dresses appeared in front of her._

_ "Nassy, you're a genius!" Anastasia's mother scooped her in her arms, something she'd never done before. "A real prodigy! You're smarter than the rest of the kids on the block!"_

_ Anastasia didn't know what a 'prodigy' was. All she knew was that it made her mama happy, and that she loved being safe and warm and snuggly in her mother's arms. She smiled, feeling content and happy._

_ "Wait until your father hears about this," her mother continued. "He's going to be so happy with you, Nassy!"_

_ Anastasia smiled, happy to make her parents happy. In her childish world, her robot was the greatest robot in the world._

* * *

_ Two years later. Seven-year-old Anastasia sat in her fifth-grade class, her head bowed deferentially, as expected by a schoolgirl. Fifteen other students sat near her, working assiduously in their schoolbooks._

_ "Close your books," Mr. Baranov barked. "We are having an oral test."_

_ Anastasia frowned nervously. _I have to get everything right. _She closed her eyes._

_ "In five minutes, I will call on someone randomly," Master Baranov said. "Solve: what are the x-values to _x2 +6x +9_?_

That's easy_, Anastasia thought as she factored the polynomial in her head. She glanced around. Some students were struggling to write the polynomial down, and others already had the answers, smirks on their faces._

_ She figured out the answer, breathing a sigh of relief. Then she froze. _What if he heard me sigh? _Fortunately Baranov glared at Dmitri Porov, who was smirking. "Young man, is there something you find funny?"_

_ "No," Dmitri said meekly._

_ "Then what is the answer?" Baranov snapped._

_ "x = 3," Dmitri answered._

_ "Hmm. Correct." Baranov stuck his ruler in Dmitri's face. "Next time, I won't be so forgiving."_

_ Anastasia felt slightly bitter that Dmitri hadn't been punished. She was young for fifth-grade – most of the other kids were ten- and eleven-year olds. One of the eleven-year-olds, Dmitri was the valedictorian of the fifth-grade class. He was good with trigonometric functions, unlike her._

_ Ever since that day, two years ago, her parents had applied her to many different schools on her behalf. Instead of starting kindergarten at the private school which most kids in the neighborhood went to, she had started third-grade at Zenithian Preparatory Academy for Elite Students, a school which only accepted the best of the best. She came home with hours and hours of homework, crying about how difficult it was._

_ Her parents had told her not to complain, how lucky she was that she even had this opportunity. But Anastasia didn't feel lucky. She just wanted to have fun, creating robots and computer-games. Why did she have to go to school for twelve hours, and then come home with six more hours of homework?_

_ But she would do it. If it made her parents proud, she would. She loved being their pride and joy._

_ "Next question," Baranov barked, "plot _y = 3sin(x) _on a graph!"_

_ Anastasia frowned. _This is going to be hard… _Sweat dripped down her forehead as she tried to work out the problem. _I have to get it right, I have to get it right, I have to –

_ "Miss Ivanova!" Baranov shouted. "What is the answer?"_

Why did he have to pick on me? _Anastasia showed him her graph. He peered down at it._

_ "Wrong!" he barked. "You have no amplitude on your graph! And the sine function starts at _(0, 0)_, not _(1, 0)_!"_

_ Anastasia kept her head down as several other students laughed. _I am such an idiot… _Why wasn't she good at this? Why couldn't she get it right?_

_ "SILENCE!" Baranov roared, looking around to catch anyone with a smile. In a mere matter of a second, every child's face had become perfectly blank. "There shall be NO LAUGHING in my room! NEXT: what is the equation for a circle with a radius at _(1, 0)_, and an endpoint at _(9, 4)_?"_

_ Anastasia furiously scribbled the coordinates down. Unfortunately, one student didn't get it, and he meekly asked, "Could you please repeat the endpoint, sir?"_

_ "ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Baranov roared, picking the kid up by the collar. He grabbed his ruler and smacked him on the hand; the boy cried out in pain. "If you don't hear the question the first time it's given, you are a failure!" He threw him down._

_ Anastasia looked away quickly, fear pounding through her heart. She knew it wasn't likely she'd be called again, at least, not anytime soon. But she still had to get it right. She started writing quickly._

Distance formula_, she thought_, square-root of [(x2 –x1)2 +(y2 –y1)2]… so square-root of [(9 –1)2 +(4 –0)2]…

_ "Mr. Abramov!" Baranov shouted, making everyone jump. "Since you're so inquisitive, why don't _you_ answer the question?" He glared at the kid who'd just asked him what the coordinates were._

_ "The… the answer?" the boy stammered._

_ "No, I asked for the number of goats in your brain, obviously," Baranov answered sarcastically. Anastasia stifled her giggle._

_ "Um… is it _(x –1)2 +y2 _equals… square-root of 26?"_

_ "Square-root of 26?" Baranov roared. "SQUARE ROOT OF 26? This is a MOCKERY of the circle-equation! You must always find the squared value of the radius of the circle!"_

_ Then suddenly, the boy began to make a funny noise. It sounded like he was choking. Anastasia stopped what she was doing, staring at him in surprise._

What is that? _Silvery fluid was running down his cheeks. His cheeks were pink, and he made a horrible sound, one that made Anastasia's hairs stand on end._

_ "_Crying_?" Baranov roared. "Are you breaking one of the three pillars of this school?"_

_ It became deadly silent. Anastasia remembered the three pillars: the first was obedience, and the second was hard-work. The third was no weakness, and that included crying. These were the three fundamental rules that the school went by, and which no one was allowed to breach._

_ As the class watched with a mixture of interest and fear – and relief that it wasn't them – Baranov picked the boy up again. "Sasha Abramov, you are a disgrace to this institution. I shall bring you to the Headmaster, who will promptly decide if you can stay in this school!" He dragged Sasha to the back of the room. His cries became louder as Baranov stuffed him into the closet._

_ Dmitri was the first to chant. "Pillar-breaking loser! We don't need you in our school!"_

_ Everyone else began to chant, too. An odd feeling formed in Anastasia's gut, one of sadness._

This is mean! _She didn't want to make fun of Sasha. After all, she hated it when they laughed at her._

_ But she joined in the chants, for she knew it was better to be like everyone else. It was better to be anonymous than an outsider. After all, the system hated outsiders, and would hate outsiders for all time to come._

* * *

Cyros lay motionless in the cell. The guards had strapped him to the ground, to the point where he couldn't move or even see what was going on. He and Timmy had been put in separate cells, unable to even communicate with one another.

_This is hopeless_, thought Cyros angrily. _I had a chance to find Sestra, and now these bad guys kidnapped me. Sestra, where are you? _A tear dripped down his cheek.

She had sacrificed herself for him. She had gone with the mean witches, and was here now in his place. But it had all been in vain - he'd still managed to get captured, anyways.

_I have to save her_, Cyros thought frantically. He had no choice. So many horrible things, things he didn't even know about, were happening on this planet. And he was the only one who could save them.

_Because I'm the crown prince_, Cyros realized. _I'm the _king _now, actually. _

The thought terrified him. How was he, a mere twelve-year-old boy, expected to save the world? How was he expected to lead an entire realm, as its _king_?

Cyros wasn't the leader type. He didn't want to be responsible for a society that had been in decline for hundreds of years. He didn't want to face his citizens, some of whom were poor and hungry and angry and cruel. He didn't want to be forced to take care of everyone.

_But I can't keep thinking like that anymore_, he realized. _I need to think about my people I need to think about… Sestra. _He realized what was going on.

_I need to save this realm. Bad people have hurt my Sestra, and I'm the only one who can save her and her people. Even if it means doing what I have never done. _The thought scared him, but he held his ground.

At that moment, he heard a shout. "Guards! Yoo-hoo! Over here!"

_That's Timmy! _Cyros realized. _What's going on?_

"Don't even think about escaping," the guards warned. "You won't prevail!"

"What's the matter?" Timmy taunted. "Can't catch me?"

Several of the guards in front of Cyros's cell began to run towards the cell next door - the one with Timmy.

_He's creating a distraction! _Cyros realized. _He wants me to escape?_

But_ how_? How was he going to make sure that he could escape?

Then he looked down at his wrists and realized. _They never put handcuffs on my wrists that reduce magic…_ Since magically-enfranchised fairy-men were so rare, the men hadn't even thought about it. And therefore, there was nothing stopping him from breaking these walls down.

_I had to stop this, _he thought. _I have to make sure that I can break out!_

He focused his energy on the electricity around him. It sizzled, and he harnessed its power, trying to create a prism.

_Five by four meters… three centimeter height.. come on, come on… _Eventually, the magic complied. He pushed the orange prism through the metal bars, , forcing the bars to creak. He made the prism grow more and more, pushing the bars outward. The bars began to creak, and then they snapped completely.

_What's that?_ he heard a voice shouting.

Cyros knew he had to be quick. He leapt out, turning to face the guards. They picked up their swords, gasping and hurling.

But Cyros simply dodged, and the sword hit where he'd once been. He created prisms, and knocked them to the ground.

"You tyrants won't win!" he hissed, sending prisms to gag their mouths. "I will save my people!" He created a prism cage in his hands. "And nothing will get in my way!" The cage formed around the two guards, and they shouted in horror.

"Don't even think about escaping!" he laughed, running away.

He ran towards Timmy's cell. _I have to save him… _He stopped and peered around the corner, staring at the scene in front of him.

Timmy had stolen one of the men's blasters, and was standing in a lightning cage. Wizards and male soldiers were standing around Timmy, ready to strike him down. With a sinking feeling, Cyros realized that these people were much stronger than him.

_But I still have to try. _He still had to focus on saving Timmy!

At that moment he saw Timmy give him a quick glance. It wasn't long enough to warrant the guards' attention, but the message was clear. _Don't waste your time. _And then he hit one of the guards with the blaster.

_He's sacrificing himself for me! _Cyros realized, trying to fight back tears. He didn't want Timmy to be hurt. _I have to save him! I can't let him sacrifice for me like Sestra!_

But this time, he wasn't going to let the sacrifice come in vain. _I'm going to get out of here. _He gritted his teeth, and flew down the corridor.

_I have to get away…_

* * *

_After the surgery, everything changed._

_ The Zenithian Preparatory Academy unceremoniously kicked her out, making her leave the school. She was forced to attend the cyborg school for all the cyborgs of Kremniy, students who didn't even know algebra or trigonometry. It insulted her, having to do easy work in classes of ninety students. Since the school was understaffed and underfunded, there were very resources for students such as Anastasia._

_ The few friends she'd had at the other school all vanished. As she grew older, into her tweens, Anastasia became more sullen and more withdrawn. She didn't care about her parents' pride in her anymore._

_ One day after work, Anastasia's parents called her to the living-room._

_ "Mr. Vasiliev has reported to me," her father said sternly. "He says that you're rude to him and that you don't do all the work he assigns."_

What does he mean? _thought Anastasia, feeling sick at the thought of Vasiliev. She was always respectful to him, as to stay out of trouble. Although she had fallen asleep at the desk yesterday at midnight… She knew it had been wrong of her to indulge in laziness, but she just hadn't been able to keep her eyes open._

_ "I don't want to work for him," she said._

_ "Why not?" her mother asked._

_ "I just… don't," Anastasia answered. "I don't like him."_

_ Her father exploded. "_You don't like him_? What kind of a ridiculous answer is that, young lady? Do you know how lucky you are to be working for the government, and for our _Secretary of Public Health_? This is a great _honor_! To complain is unacceptable!"_

_ "You've been rude at school, too," Anastasia's mother added. "You barely do your homework. Quite frankly, it's a wonder you're still at school at all!"_

_ "Well, I hate being a cyborg!" Anastasia suddenly exploded. She had never spoken to her parents this way before, but suddenly, she hated them. "You made me into this! Now no one likes me!"_

_ "How dare you?" her mother asked quietly. Suddenly, her tone became very dangerous. "After all we've done for you, _this _is how you repay us? You decide that you can suddenly become a vagrant?"_

_ "I don't want to do this anymore!" Anastasia ran out of the house._

_ Immediately, the robot-guards ran after her; one even caught up to her. But Anastasia simply deflected it with a burst of techno-magic, and it fell to the ground. She ran out of the lawn and into the road._

_ She glanced around at the street. The few glances she got were mainly scornful; she was a cyborg, after all. She sprinted down, trying to find somewhere, _anywhere_, where she could escape her home. Finding a deserted alley, she sank down to the ground._

_ She didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that she was angry with her family, and was tired of everything she was going through. She was just tired of being so low._

_ "Hey there, little girlie," a voice behind her said. Anastasia gasped and turned around._

_ Three teenage boys were walking towards her, their eyes glinting. "Let's get her," one of them whispered. They ran at her, ropes in hand._

_ Anastasia yelped as one of them tied a rope around her wrists._

_ "Let's get the little cyborg," one of them whispered. "We're gonna bring home a new pet, aren't we? You strayed too far from the cyborg dump, dearie."_

_ "Let me go!" Anastasia shouted._

_ The boys laughed. Anastasia struggled within her binds as they howled with glee._

_ "You're just a foolish cyborg," one of them laughed. "You're not even a real person. All you are is a robot."_

_ Anastasia glared down as they laughed. The tears didn't come to her eyes, though she kind of wished they would. But her tear-ducts prevented her from crying, and in any case, she'd trained herself to not cry a long time ago._

_ "Nobody's looking for you," another added. "You're just a stupid robot. Nobody cares enough to find you."_

_ "Don't you dare!" A sphere of light appeared in her hands. She stared at it in astonishment, at the energy that pulsed through her veins._

I can break these binds! _She focused her energy on cutting through the rope. Eventually, it fell to the ground, and she glared at the boys, who were backing up._

_ "It's _my _turn," she snarled, levitating a metal bar from the roof. She hurled it towards them, and they gasped in horror, running away._

_ "Don't run away from me!" With newfound strength, she chased the boys, zapping them with lightning. They screamed as they fell to the ground._

_ "That's enough," a voice behind her said. Her father was walking towards her, with robots tailing behind. The robots picked up the boys, tying them with rope._

_ "Take them to the authorities," her father ordered. "Tell them that they tried to attack Mr. Ivanov's daughter. They will face swift justice."_

_ The robots obeyed, walking down the street. Her father turned down towards Anastasia._

_ "You were disobedient," he said severely. "And for that, you will be punished. I expect to see all of your homework from now on."_

_ "Yes, Father," Anastasia said meekly._

_ "But your magical-skills are far greater than any of us could've imagined," her father added. "Not to mention, as a cyborg, you need some kind of self-defense. Therefore, I have decided that I will sign you up for a self-defense class."_

_ For the first time in ages, a small smile appeared on the corners of Anastasia's lips. "Thank you, Father." She bowed down to him._

_ "Robot 9393, escort my daughter home," her father added._

_ As Anastasia walked back towards the house, she felt slightly happy. She had loved the feeling of the magic coursing through her veins, just as much as she'd enjoyed programming robots and games when she was young. _I can't wait to join self-defense. _She flicked her hands._

_ For the first time, a spark of hope appeared in her heart. Maybe she could learn something great. And maybe, just maybe, she could rise above her trappings as a cyborg._

* * *

Cyros sped down the prison, frowning as he gazed around the new world.

Something was not right. He could see that there were different people were thrown in different rooms. The people were all crammed in tiny cages, with…. _computer screens_?

_This isn't a normal prison_, Cyros realized. _It was something else before a prison. _But then, what was it?

He fled down the hall. It was then that he caught sight of something he hadn't seen before.

A man was sitting in an open prison-cell. The bars were less-stable than that of the other people's. He looked up at Cyros.

"The king of Zenith," he said in a weedy voice. "How pleased to make your acquaintance."

Against his intuition, Cyros slowed down in surprise. _Who is he? _He stared at the sallow-skinned man.

He knew he shouldn't stay here. It wasn't a good idea to stay in the area, not when there were guards looking for him.

"The guards never come here," the man said lazily. "They think I'm just a foolish, old man, and they avoid me at all costs." He sat up straight. "Listen, boy. I have a proposition for you."

_What? _Cyros thought, feeling uneasy. He didn't like this man. He seemed weird and slimy, like the fish he and _Sestra _had caught over the months.

"I hear that you are the prince of Zenith."

At these words, Cyros shot up. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Don't try to deny it, boy," the man smiled. "I know all about you. I've spent many years studying the history of Zenith - along with my chemical research, of course." He bared his teeth.

"What do you want from me?" Cyros asked, feeling more and more scared. "Who _are _you?"

"My name is Igor Vasiliev," the man said silkily.

Cyros frowned. He didn't know who he was, but he didn't like what he was saying. _I really need to leave… _But somehow, he didn't want to move.

"I'll make a deal with you," the man continued. "You release me from this prison. In return, I will grant you with great power."

"I don't want power!" Cyros cried.

"Oh yes you do," Vasiliev answered. "You are to be the king of this great nation. With darling Medea gone, who's stopping you? I was the Secretary of Health before being relegated to this lowly place." He let out a sigh. "But with me on your side, we'll turn this country right around. I am old and wise, and you are a brave idealist, but woefully young. What do you say?"

Cyros stared at him. _He's right, I _do _need help… _After all, he certainly wasn't going to save Zenith alone. _But still… _There was still something wrong.

Sensing his hesitation, Vasiliev sighed. "Listen, boy, I helped someone out before you. A darling cyborg of mine. Thanks to me, she rose to great power and strength."

"What do you mean _cyborg of yours_?" Cyros asked in confusion.

"You have a lot to learn," Vasiliev answered. "Cyborgs are the lowest of the low, only slightly higher than robots. But thanks to me, she became a very valuable worker." He let out a sigh. "I even met her a few hours ago. That Tecna girl has become quite a force."

_Tecna? _Instantly, Cyros's blood boiled. "My _Sestra_? How dare you speak about her like that?"

"I see you both are acquainted," Vasiliev smiled. "Do you see what a great impact I had on her?"

"No," Cyros answered through gritted teeth.

"She helped me build up my creation," Vasiliev murmured. "But then that fiend stole it. He who walks around with my ancestor's namesake, proclaiming himself as the Emperor of this great realm. An insult if there ever was. This is what I need you to do." His eyes flashed. "You and I will take Valtor down together. And then, we shall build up a great empire with the rest of the world bowing at our feet. And nothing will get in our way!"

_He's crazy_, Cyros realized. _Completely, completely insane. I won't fall for his tricks. _He glared at Vasiliev.

"No," he said forcefully. "You're the _last _person I want to save the world. Goodbye!" He flew out of the room.

From behind him he heard Vasiliev hiss, "Fool! Mark my words, you'll rue the day you turned against the man who'd bring you power!"

"I don't need your power!" Cyros yelled back. Seeing the exit in front, he flew straight out the door and out into the sun.

* * *

_ "Good work today, Anastasia," Ms. Kuznetsova said._

_ Fourteen-year-old Anastasia smiled thinly. She had first joined a self-defense class for cyborgs when she was eleven-years old, and her great talent had been spotted instantly. Now, she was training under Ms. Kuznetsova, a Zenithian master of magical-defense, as her student._

_ "Ms. Kuznetsova?" a voice called. Anastasia looked in surprise as her mother appeared. "What have you called me for?"_

_ "Mrs. Ivanova, your daughter's progress is exceptional," Kuznetsova answered. "Not only is she exceptionally-talented, but she is an incredibly-hard worker. I believe she has the potential to bring great power to Zenith. In fact, I believe that she should apply to Alfea."_

_ "Alfea?" Anastasia gasped. She had heard of that school before – it was an elite school for fairies in Magix. "Do you mean" –_

_ "I have already written your recommendation-letter," Kuznetsova answered. "I will mail it once you give me your approval."_

_ "What do you think, Anastasia?" her mother asked._

_ "I would _love _to," Anastasia breathed. To be able to go to a school, where she could learn so much? "Please, let me apply!"_

_ "We'll talk about it at home," Anastasia's mother answered._

_ That evening, Anastasia told her father. He agreed to let her apply._

_ "But don't get your hopes up about getting in," he warned her. "It's very selective."_

I _know _that_, Anastasia thought in irritation. Why did her father have to pour cold water on everything? She found the application-site, and then created a profile herself. Reading the terms of application, she froze._

No cyborg will be admitted to the school_, it said, in red letters._

_ Anastasia's mind whirled. _I can't let Mother know. _She found a copy of her birth-certificate, and scanned it in the computer. Her birth-certificate, after all, wasn't tainted by the scarlet letter of _cyborg_._

_ She couldn't explain why she was doing this. All she knew was that she didn't want to be denied from the school, simply because she was a cyborg. It occurred to her that Kuznetsova, a cyborg herself, already knew about the rules._

I won't let them get me. _Determined, she stared at the computer. _They don't need to know anything.

_ A month later, she was called for an interview. She ordered a cyborg-covering on the black-market, and took her parents' private spacecraft to Magix. The first thing the interviewer asked her was, "Do you have any nicknames?"_

_ Anastasia frowned. She knew that nicknames were false names that people outside of Zenith used to make themselves appear "cool", whatever that meant. _I don't have any nickname…

_ But if she got into Alfea, she'd be starting a new life. She nodded and looked up at the woman._

_ "You can call me Tecna," she said._

_ With that new alias came a spark of hope. _I don't have to be the Zenithian I am now… _Maybe she could be reborn as a new person, with a new life._

* * *

_ The acceptance letter arrived in Novemensis._

_ "I can't believe it!" her father gasped, looking shocked. "You got in!"_

That's great_, thought Anastasia, smiling. _I'll be leaving here now! _But then her mother looked at her warily._

_ "It's wonderful," she said, "but now we have to discuss whether you're actually going."_

_ "What?" gasped Anastasia. "What do you mean?"_

_ "Your mother's right," Anastasia's father agreed. "People may not accept you, as a cyborg. So far away from home, we won't be there to help you if you're hurt or attacked."_

_ "Not to mention," Anastasia's mother added, "In Magix, you may be susceptible to unbecoming influences. Magixians aren't as proper as Zenithians."_

_ "But I got into one of the most prestigious schools in the UR!" Anastasia cried._

_ "We're just worried that this might not be the best decision," her father said._

I can't believe it_, thought Anastasia. _They think that, just because I'm a cyborg, I can't be a good warrior!

_ But she had to be deferential. She nodded, contorting her face into an emotionless mask. "Okay, Mother, Father. It is your decision."_

_ "Excuse me?" a slimy voice said. Anastasia's insides turned to mud as she saw Vasiliev enter._

_ "Igor!" her father said in surprise. "What brings you here?"_

_ "I'd just like a word with you," Vasiliev answered. "A private word, if you don't mind."_

_ "Of course," her mother said, shooting Anastasia a glance. "Go inside."_

_ Anastasia climbed up the stairs. _There's no way I'm not listening to this. _Using a drone she'd created, she flew it down towards the kitchen. She listened through the earpiece to her parents' and Vasiliev's voices._

_ "I couldn't help but hear the conversation," Vasiliev said. "And I want to congratulate you on your daughter's acceptance to Alfea."_

_ "Thank you," Anastasia's mother said, sounding rather uncomfortable._

_ "I believe that Alfea would be a great opportunity for Anastasia," Vasiliev said. "And I believe you should let her go."_

What? _thought Anastasia, stunned. Had she just heard him right? Why was he convincing them to let her go?_

_ "Why is that?" her father asked._

_ "Because of her, my creation has advanced years ahead of schedule," Vasiliev answered. "I am in a mood to be generous. In addition, I believe she could truly help the world."_

_ "Okay," her mother said, swallowing. "But what if she is hurt for being a cyborg?"_

_ "There is a flesh-covering that can be bought on the black-market," Vasiliev responded. "I think you'll find it suitable for her. No one need know that she's a cyborg."_

_ "I think you're right," Anastasia's mother said slowly. "But we have to make some conditions. And the first of them is that she may not date any boys. Since Alfea is a girls' school, I don't think we'll have that problem. But she is too young and smart to waste herself on any boys."_

_ "I agree," Vasiliev said. "So have you agreed to let her go?"_

_ "Yes," her father said. "Tell her that we've come to an agreement."_

_ Anastasia tried to make herself look as unsuspicious as possible while Vasiliev climbed the steps. He entered her room, holding the drone. From the look on his face, Anastasia could tell that he knew that she'd spied on them. He shut the door._

_ "I know what you call yourself," he said. "Tecna, is it? That's a cute name." He laughed, sending chills down Anastasia's spine. "Well, call yourself what you want, but remember that I _still have the controls_. And that I can tell you what to do, whenever I want, without any question. Even across planets."_

_ Anastasia swallowed hard and looked up at Vasiliev. He smiled, patting her on the head._

_ "Goodnight, Tecna," he said. "Enjoy your time at Alfea. But just remember… I'll be watching." He left the room._

_ Anastasia shuddered. As the Secretary of Public Health, Vasiliev had access to all her records; it made sense that he knew about her application. _Well, it doesn't matter. _She lowered her gaze to the floor._

_ For the first time, she imagined herself under the alias "Tecna". _A girl who helps the world… _She knew that this moment would forever change her life._

* * *

Cyros ran down the street, reverting back to his civilian form. He knew that the guards would be on the lookout for him, and that he'd have to be quiet.

_I have to find a place to stay the night. _Only then could he even think about regrouping, and figuring out how to save Timmy and his _Sestra_. And most importantly, to save the kingdom from Valtor. He swallowed hard.

Suddenly, his hairs stood on end as he heard the sound of coughing. _Who is that? _Nervously, he peered around the corridor.

A young woman was lying on the ground. _Who is that? _Her entire body was wracked with fever, and she was spitting up blood. Cyros gazed closely at the woman, and then gasped in horror.

"_Sestra_!" he shouted, running up to her.

_No, no, no… _"Don't die on me!" he yelled, reaching down for her hands –

"Step away from her!" a voice called.

Cyros turned around. _Who is that… _He gasped at who he saw.

A navy-haired woman was walking towards them, her eyes cold. She glared at Cyros, and then spoke into a device.

"A cyborg female is infected with the Magix disease," she said. "Call General Trotsky immediately. Have him arrange a transport to move her out of the area. The entire Lower District will be infected if we don't move her now." She slammed the device shut and glared at Cyros.

Cyros stared at her in astonishment. "Who are you?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," the woman snapped. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save my friend," he answered, desperately. "She's sick! I have to help her!"

"You can't save her," she answered coldly. "All we can do is get her out of here so she doesn't infect the streets."

"We have to take care of her!" Cyros insisted. "You're not leaving her somewhere in some graveyard to die! I won't let you!"

"You're just a boy," the woman answered. "Why should I listen to you?"

Cyros watched as she walked away. A fury like he hadn't known before came over him, and he lifted his hands.

The woman gasped in shock as an orange prism appeared in front of her. She turned around. Creating an orange stretcher in his hands, Cyros levitated Tecna into the air. He glared at the woman.

"I am the Lost Prince of Zenith!" he snapped. "Listen to me! She's my friend, and no matter what, I _will _help her!"

The woman stared at him, her eyes wide. "Unbelievable," she whispered.

"What's going on?" Cyros heard a man shout. Two bearded men had climbed out of the sewers and were heading towards them. One of them was a young man with a wild pink beard and moustache, who had a gleaming metal leg. The second had a long indigo mane and a rugged beard, which somehow looked more handsome than the first man's. They stared at Cyros, taken aback.

"The Lost Prince of Zenith!" the pink-bearded boy squealed. "I told you, Mara! The legends were true!" He let out a high-pitched, almost drunken giggle.

"Shh!" Mara hissed angrily. "We can't let anyone hear! Rasputin, I need you to transport this cyborg girl to a place where people won't get sick! Do you have the Disinfectant Potion with you?"

"Yes, capt" – Rasputin stopped, staring at Tecna with wide eyes.

"This is the girl Lover Boy was looking for," he gasped, grinning excitedly. "I can't believe it! Anastasia Ivanova!"

"Lover Boy?" Cyros asked, frowning. "Are you talking about an orange-haired kid?" _The one who tried to throttle me?_

"That's the one!" Rasputin shouted, startling them all. "This really _is _my lucky day! I told you, Mara! All of my predictions are" –

"There's no time to waste!" the bearded man hissed. "We _must _transport her!"

"I'll move her," Cyros said, levitating the prism. "Rasputin can spray. You tell me where to take her." He was amazed at how authoritative his voice sounded.

"The Ivanov residence will do," the bearded man asked. "It's been deserted ever since Valtor took over the realm. I was thinking of moving some of our operations there anyways."

"Lead the way," Cyros told the bearded man. "I'll carry her."

"Very well," the man nodded. "Let's go."

Cyros levitated Tecna as they raced down the street, trying to find the Ivanov house. _We're going to save my Sestra. _He faced downwards, his eyes determined.

_And save Zenith from destruction._

* * *

_Nine-year-old Anastasia walked out the school-gate, gazing around. Under her jeans, she shivered; the temperature was unusually cold today, even for Zenith._

_ In fact, it was so cold that the robotic car which usually came to pick her up from school had malfunctioned. Her mother had sent her a text, telling her to find some other means of transportation._

_ She sighed, walking up to a driverless taxi. Upon entering, she gasped at the amount of charge it was asking her – 1000 rubles for a trip home._

That is way too much! _She only had 400 rubles in her pocket. _Well then, how am I going to get home?

_ She gazed upwards – and then she saw it. A hover was hanging on a cable-line, swinging precariously. Something she had never ridden before in her life. Dimly, Anastasia remembered her father mentioning one day that hovers were less expensive than taxis._

I'm going to go. _Climbing up, she spoke to the hover-man. "How much?" she asked, giving him her address._

_ "400 rubles," he answered shortly._

There goes all my money_, Anastasia thought as she paid him. She climbed into the hover, next to a woman and a boy. The man pressed the button._

_ She gasped as the hover shot down the cable-line. Letting out a whoop of joy, she felt it accelerate, sending her to speeds she'd never felt before._

This is so much fun! _Why were the hovers so inexpensive? She gazed over at the boy and saw that he was grinning, too. Only the woman didn't seem to care – she was texting on her phone._

_ The hover sailed effortlessly over the city. Anastasia gazed down, seeing all of the sights from afar for the first time. She saw the gleaming steel-buildings, the robots on the streets, and the gray Trotsky Sea. A thick coat of snow covered the buildings and the road, making the world look like a winter paradise._

This is amazing_, thought Anastasia. _This is so –

_Suddenly, the cable made a snapping sound. Anastasia gasped as she felt the hover disconnect with the cable, propelling into the air. _What's going on? _The woman finally looked up from her phone._

_ Pure terror coursed through Anastasia's stomach. _We're falling! _She looked over at the boy and saw that he was screaming in terror, too. The woman let out a gasp as the ground appeared closer, closer, infinitely closer…_

_ It was all over in seconds. The hover crashed into the street, sending glass and metal everywhere. Anastasia was thrown out of her seat and hit the pavement, pain coursing through her broken body._

_ She didn't hear the shrieks behind her. All she could think, as she hit the ground, was, _I'm sorry, Mother. I'm sorry, Father. This is it, this is the –

_ Then, the darkness condensed on her, and all breath was sucked out of her lungs._

* * *

**That was… really sad. I know many of you will be upset, especially with the Timmy story I posted on WCFC. But I promise – this is it. It will get better.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **A student at Red Fountain gets the virus.**

\- **The girls remain stuck in quarantine.**

\- **Valtor resurfaces from hiding.**

**See you all Tuesday!**


	44. Chapter 41: Quarantine, Part 2

**Hi, everyone! I know this is a bit later in the day than normal. It was my mother's birthday, and my family had a surprise-party for her. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_ "Listen, girl." Vasiliev's face was now mere inches from Flora's. "You can work for Her Magnificence, maybe even appear on screen. You can be Her Magnificence's poster-child. Your war is a lost cause – if your people haven't figured it out by now, they will soon enough."_**

**_ "And what's my other option?" Flora challenged him._**

**_ "You can be my test-subject for my creation."_**

**_ Flora gasped. "What… creation?" she asked nervously._**

**_ "Oh, how careless of me," the man smiled. "The one your friend spent hours programming. With her data-analysis, she was able to get it through many tests and trials. All of that is wonderful, but we need a real subject."_**

**_ "What is it?" Flora demanded. "Some kind of… weapon?"_**

**_ "You could say that," the man smiled._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"It is time for our annual New Year's celebration," Faragonda said, smiling. " We are going to be celebrating the defeat of the Trix and Valtor!"_**

**_ For a moment, Flora thought she saw an uncertain glimmer in Bloom's eyes. But she must have imagined it, for it vanished just as soon as she saw it._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora stared at the ceiling, wondering whether she'd ever see her family alive. There was simply no way to get back home._**

**_No one would listen to her. Her parents didn't believe she could do anything, and neither did Faragonda. They won't let me save my own realm from danger…_**

**_ She just couldn't shake the feeling that the Valtor and Vasiliev problem were both related. Although Faragonda wanted to deal with them separately, somehow, she knew they were close._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Flora –_**

**_I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about this earlier, but I couldn't chance it getting out. Please, continue to search. In the event I never get back from Zenith, make sure you crack what's inside the laptop. Tecna's fate is in your hands now._**

**_ ~ Timmy_**

* * *

CHAPTER 41: QUARANTINE, PART II

The Great Hall was mostly silent as the students of Alfea sat at their tables. For how long they'd been doing this, Flora didn't know. Two weeks had passed, but it felt more like two months. She gazed around the Hall, staring at everyone.

After the first week, Griselda had put a forcefield around the tables, so that students wouldn't try to mingle with girls from other tables. They could only head to their own tables, and could not step within two meters of another one.

Flora reached the dining-table at eight that morning, sitting at her place. She was up much earlier than her friends, and had decided to reach the line early, so as to minimize the chances of contamination. She would've gone earlier had she not been finishing work for Advanced Battle. There was a fair number of students, but as most of them were freshmen, they were on the far side of the hall.

She picked an empty plate from the table and spooned lettuce and tomatoes onto her plate. Since there was no one at the salad-bar on most days, she always went there, so as not to interact with people; in any case, she loved vegetables. Picking two slices of bread and a banana from the main line, she was about to head back when she saw someone in front of her.

"Professor Avalon," she managed. "Hi."

With his mask on, Avalon looked strange. It was strange to not see people's faces, or their noses and mouths. He nodded at her, holding his own plate of eggs and toast.

"Flora," he greeted her. "How are you doing today?"

"Okay," she managed. "As well as any of us can be, I guess." She frowned. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," he answered. Gazing around to make sure no one was watching, he quickly lowered his voice. "Do you have any _flores de iris _with you?"

"Y-yes," Flora answered, startled. She still had the pot of flowers that Mirta had given to her on _El Día del Amor_. "Why?"

"I've been working on strengthening the school's barrier," he answered, "and I believe that plant is the key. As you know, it has many healing-properties, and is used often in healing- and truth-potions. I was hoping that, if you gave me your plant, I could work on this."

Flora frowned. She had heard that Magixian scientists were ordering a huge shipment of _flores de iris_ flower-petals from Linphea, trying to use them in their antidote and vaccination trials. Nonetheless, she couldn't help but feel suspicious. "I only have one pot."

"That is enough for what I need," Avalon answered. "Please, leave it outside your apartment."

Flora nodded, heading back to her table. Slowly, the Great Hall began to fill in, and just as she finished eating, Layla, Bloom, Musa, and the pixies came in. Flora looked up at them and frowned. "Where's Stella?"

"Taking extra time in the shower," Layla answered, sitting down. "She says she needs to do her beauty routine. Told me to save her some scones. She was up at seven, putting on makeup. Woke me up with a start." Her voice turned sour.

Flora frowned. Out of everyone, she and Stella usually woke up the earliest – while the others preferred to sleep in until eight, they got up with the sunrise. In the summer months, they were known to wake up at five. The difference between the two, however, was that while Flora tried to be as quiet as possible, merely brushing her teeth before heading outside for her daily walk, Stella made plenty of noise. This, combined with the fact that she spent an hour every morning with makeup, irritated Layla immensely. The Duomensis sun rose earlier than that of Unimensis, which meant that Stella was going to be waking earlier and earlier. _They're both going to be fighting a lot… _What with the situation at-hand, tempers were rising, and most of them were not getting along.

_I miss Mirta. _She gazed forlornly at table IC, where Mirta and her roommates were. Although they walked around campus every day together, they had to stand two meters apart. She missed being able to hug her like she could before.

"Students!" a voice called from the front of the Great Hall. Everyone stopped talking and stared up at Faragonda, who was looking exceptionally grave. A hush went over the hall as she spoke.

"We have been informed that a Red Fountain student tested positive for _respiratoriorum typhoonis_," she said. Immediately, the room fell silent, and everyone stared at Faragonda in shock. "Just this morning, he was taken to Ganga Hospital. All of his roommates are strictly under quarantine and will be monitored for symptoms."

"Who is it?" Chatta foolishly asked. Griselda glared at her.

"We do not disclose such information," she snapped. "What this means, however, is that, despite our best efforts, someone has _still _carried it. Therefore, we _must _increase our social-distancing regulations." She gazed around.

"This will be the last meal you eat in the Great Hall. From now on, meals will be delivered to your rooms, and the Hall will go through deep-cleansing. There will be no access to the library or to the bathrooms outside of those in your suite. You will only be allowed to leave your room for thirty minutes each day, for one daily form of exercise. If you were in-contact with this person in the past three weeks, you will receive an email with further instructions."

Flora expected the other girls, particularly the underclassmen, to complain, but the Hall was silent. Not one student raised her voice in protest. Rather, everyone looked scared that one of their own could've befallen. Faragonda spoke solemnly.

"This is a terrible thing to happen," she said. "We must make sure that this doesn't happen here as well. Everyone, please keep an eye out for your suitemates. If anyone suspects the other of an illness, contact Nurse Ofelia immediately. _Do not go to the infirmary_. You could spread the illness to our professors, who are patrolling the halls, or to students that are lurking around."

_But the virus can't be transmitted if we keep a two-meter radius_, thought Flora. _It doesn't even survive on surfaces for long. _Nonetheless, she could understand why the staff was so concerned – the mortality rate was far too high.

"I think we should go now," Layla said. She had finished her food, as had the other girls. "Come on, let's go upstairs." Amore grabbed a muffin for Stella from the buffet line. They headed up the stairs, determined to get out before the crowds of girls climbed upwards.

"Wait a minute – I hear something from our apartment," Musa said, frowning.

At first, none of the other girls could hear anything, but when they entered the apartment, it was obvious what it was. Crying. Amore flew inside, barging towards Stella and Layla's room.

"Stella!" she shouted.

Stella was collapsed on the floor, makeup running down her cheeks. Her hair was completely frazzled, and her eyes were bright red. Amore hugged her tightly as the others stared down.

"It's Brandon," she wept. "He's gone."

And that was all she had to say. The girls stared helplessly down at Stella as she sobbed, her cries piercing through the air.

* * *

For the next two weeks, the girls and the pixies were under complete isolation. Since Stella had been with Brandon on multiple dates before the quarantine, and had been in close contact with the other girls, they all had to self-isolate. They would have to isolate for two weeks, and if they didn't show any symptoms, they would be released back to the normal schedule.

Those two weeks were the hardest of Flora's life. To not be able to exit the dorm was complete torture; she could only stare longingly at the trees from inside. Day after day, the girls sat in silence, doing their coursework as best as they could. They slept most of the time, as much as they possibly could.

Every day, they anxiously checked one another for symptoms. After classes were over, they tried to spend time together or watch shows, but that soon lost its charm. They had all reached a point where they were getting tired of one another. Therefore, they often retreated into their own rooms, doing their own things.

As best as she could, Flora tried to comfort Stella, but she wasn't taking any of it. She cried every day, fretting about Brandon and whether he was going to survive the illness.

"Every day, people are dying," she wailed. "What if Brandon is one of them?"

"It won't be, Stella," Bloom said, trying to reassure her. "Brandon is young and strong. You even said it yourself – only the elderly are dying."

"But how do you know?" Stella shouted back. "I wish I'd never said anything! Wish I'd always followed the social-distancing! Brandon would still be okay if it wasn't for me!" She let out a wail.

"Stella, this isn't your fault," Layla said urgently. "I doubt those few times you went out of the apartment without a mask did anything. You just have to wait it out."

"It's so easy for all of you to say that!" Stella snarled. "You don't have anyone to worry about!"

It was true, Flora had to admit. Sky and Riven hadn't shown any symptoms, and Mirta was safe at Alfea. She could completely understand where Stella was coming from. Still, she knew there was nothing she could do or say to make it better.

After the past week's fiasco, Mirta's parents didn't bother to speak to her. Mirta, understandably, was distraught.

"I just don't understand why they won't see me," she said, her image wavering on the phone. "I know they're busy, helping with the crisis, but this is ridiculous. They're just ignoring me completely!" She paused. "Is it selfish for me to think about my own problems when all this is going on?"

"No," Flora answered. "Of course you want your family to love you, Mirta. I understand why you feel this way."

"I need to talk to them," Mirta said. "I need to figure out what's going on." She took in a breath. "I'm going to go to Magix City and find them."

"No!" Flora stared at her, aghast. "You can't do that! Mirta, you _have _to promise me that you're not going to put yourself in danger. Look at how miserable Stella is now! If you caught Typhoon, I would never" – She broke off, nearly in tears.

There was a silence. Then Mirta spoke, but her tone was flat. "Fine, then." She ended the call, leaving Flora to hopelessly stare at the black screen.

Day by day passed into an endless stream. Flora lost track of all the hours and the days, despite keeping up with the coursework. She knew her friends felt the same – anxious and bored and irritable at being locked up.

She couldn't believe how many things she'd taken for granted. Seeing all of her professors and fellow students in class, going into Magix to hang out, walking in Roccaluce Forest every morning. She even missed cleaning the dishes with Mirta and Bloom as part of her work-study arrangement.

The worst part was that they could do nothing. In the past, they had flown out whenever the Trix or Darkar or Valtor had attacked, and courageously fought in battle. But now they had absolutely no power. A disease was something far beyond their control, something far, far deadlier than anyone they'd ever encountered before. All they could do now was log onto that stupid Vroom, which didn't even _work _half the time, and do their lessons.

_If only Tecna was here, she'd be able to help us figure out this system in an instant. _Grief poured through Flora's heart, followed instantly by rebuke. How could she be so selfish? _Tecna is in a better place now. I can't keep wishing her back. _Walking up to the windowsill, she poured water for her _flores de iris_.

She could no longer give it to Avalon – they were now strictly forbidden from trading items. She gazed sadly at the plant, which was somehow the only thing thriving in the apartment. But there was something underneath it. In confusion, she stared at what was underneath – a laptop. To be precise, Tecna's laptop.

_Why did I leave my plant on top of the laptop? _Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember using the laptop anytime in the past few weeks. Somehow, she and Digit had no desire to uncover Tecna's fate – the virus around them had zapped all of their energy.

_But I _want _to find out what happened to her_, she realized. _I want to have hope. And I can't give up on Tecna._

Her fist clenched as she thought of Timmy, who was still on Zenith. How was he handling things? What was he doing, right at that very moment? Had he given up on his mission, or was he still going strong, amid all impossibility?

_Tecna and Timmy – they've taught me courage_, she realized. _Courage isn't just fighting for your home world. It's knowing you're beaten from the start, but still determining to finish the job anyways. It's searching in the darkest corners of the world for the person you love, and sacrificing yourself for a world you never were, or will be, a part of. _She swallowed, thinking back to what Timmy had told her: _"Tecna's fate is in your hands now."_

Whether or not she believed that, she had to try. It didn't matter whether Tecna was alive or dead – she owed it to her, and the rest of the world, to figure out what was going on.

But _how_? How was she going to break into the computer, especially when she and Digit had tried _everything_? What was she going to do?

She gazed at the plant atop the laptop. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she realized what she had to do.

_Digit and I've been doing it wrong this entire time._ They had relied solely on technology to hack into the computer, when Zenith knew how to lock it properly. But nothing was more powerful than nature. As Avalon had said earlier, _flores de iris _were known for their healing properties. Lifting her hands, she directed the vines to coil around the computer.

The leaves bunched together, squeezing the computer together. Floral essence began to enter through the computer, electricity zapping through its veins.

"Flora?" Bloom's voice called behind her. "What're you" – She stared at the computer, aghast, and shouted, "Flora!"

Flora grimaced, trying to control the magical energy. But the electricity was too strong for the plant, and was taking over. She let out a shout as the vines caught flame, and pain shot through her head.

"Morphix extinguisher!"

The water from her jug shot across the vines, extinguishing the fire and withdrawing the plants from the computer. Flora looked up nervously, and turned around.

Layla, Bloom, Musa, and Stella were standing before her, their eyes narrowed. Layla glared at her.

"Not smart," she snapped. "Now, will you _please _tell us what's going on?"

"I'm trying to use the essence of floral nature to enter the computer," Flora said. "But the only thing is – the computer's rejecting it. It's not working."

"Of _course _it ain't workin'," Musa pointed out. "How d'ya expect a computer to respond to _plants_?"

"Flora, nature and technology don't work well together," Bloom said. "They're opposites, the same way the Dragon Fire and Serpent Water are. There's no way you'll be able to break in."

_But Tecna and I always worked well together… _Despite their opposite power-sources, their bond had been unbreakable. She remembered how they'd fought Stormy during the hurricane on Andros, how they'd done their convergence together, how they'd worked together to free Mirta from her pumpkin prison…

And suddenly, it hit her like lightning. She turned to Bloom slowly, whispering, "You're wrong."

"What do you mean?" Bloom asked, startled.

"Tecna and I always worked well together," Flora answered, "because we trusted one another. I need to get the computer to trust me. If I can reach into the computer's hard-disc and show it that nature and technology aren't all that different, then it'll trust me." She turned the computer towards the potted iris plant, turning on the scanner.

She saw it scrutinize the makeup of her plant, marveling at how efficient and quick it was. It searched through, detecting the plant on its radar. She clicked on the scanner, having it download the iris plant's data.

"Do ya have any idea what you're doing?" Musa called.

No, she didn't. She knew nearly nothing about technology; in fact, she hadn't even had her own cell-phone until she'd come to Alfea. She opened the laptop, staring at its screen. _TRUST? _the dialogue popped up.

ACCEPT, she clicked back.

The computer sent her back a dialogue, saying that the potted plant was a trusted entity. _Perfect. _She opened the computer, using the potted plant to cast the same spell as before.

This time, the computer didn't resist as the vines coiled around the computer, sending natural energy inside. Green energy took over the computer, and she saw the hardware clicking. Bit-by-bit, thousands of documents began to unlock. The girls let out a cheer.

"You did it, Flo!" Stella shouted. "I can't believe it!"

"What happened?" Digit flew into the room, letting out a yawn. "We heard" – Staring at the computer, she let out a shout.

"You got it to work!" she cried. Flying up to Flora, she hugged her tightly. Flora patted her back, smiling down at her. _I'm so happy I got it to work – and that Digit is feeling better. _Feeling a lot more confident, she smiled at her potted plant, allowing it to retreat back.

"Now all we need to do is open this computer and find out what's inside," Layla said.

"The only question is – where do we start?" Bloom stared at the thousands of files inside.

Flora stared, too. The files were all numbered with some kind of classification system, with no name to speak of.

"I'll analyze the classification-system," Digit said. "It'll take me a while, but I'll get it done." Attaching a device to the computer, she began to type.

"While she's doing that," Musa said, "open a file at random."

Flora opened a file. Whatever she'd been expecting, it was not what she saw. A name shot across the screen, one that she hadn't expected to see: THE CRYSTAL OF ZENITH.

"Huh?" Layla stared in confusion. "What's that?"

"I don't know," Flora frowned. The rest of the file was written in Unified Zenithian. Using Interrealm Translate, she stared at the screen, reading aloud.

SIZE: 12 CM BY 12 CM BY 12 CM, SPHERICAL.

AGE: ONE-HUNDRED THOUSAND MILLENNIA.

FUNCTION: NONE NOTED.

Vasiliev had added his notes below.

_The Crystal of Zenith is unknown to most, even the Great Premier; it is rumored to be an impressive object of many millennia. Upon discovering it in the laboratory, however, I found that it is pitiful, a former shell of what it once was. It does not give me great power over the realm of Zenith. However, what it does have is somewhat useful: the power of healing._

_ Having finished my work with the Crystal, I have discarded it in a secure location, one where no one will think to find it._

Flora stared, confused. She scanned down, trying to find more about the Crystal, but Vasiliev hadn't written anything. _Does he keep some of this information to himself? _She stared up at the other girls, who had confused expressions on their faces.

"What's the Crystal of Zenith?" asked Stella.

"It sounds to me like a magical artifact," Layla answered, "like the Sun of Solaria, the Tide of Andros, and the Harmony of Linphea." She frowned. "Why is it so 'unimportant', then?"

"And why did Valtor never take it?" Bloom added. "He was on Zenith for a good amount of time. Yet, when we released all those spells, the Crystal of Zenith wasn't one of them."

"Well, obviously it's been hidden somewhere," Musa answered, "and not well-known, either. My guess is that Valtor either didn't know about it or didn't care enough to look."

"But where could it possibly be?" Flora wondered. "Why is it so important?"

"I don't know," Digit answered, "but we're going to look. We're going to excavate this laptop!"

"Girls?" a voice called behind them. A knock sounded on the door. Bloom quickly pulled on a mask, opening the door.

"Hi, Ms. Griselda," she said in surprise, staring at her.

It had been ages since they'd seen Griselda – or anyone from outside their apartment. The woman's face was covered in an extra-large mask, her long nose hilariously jutting out from behind the covering. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the girls. A second person was next to her – Mirta's mother.

"We were able to secure tests from Ganga Hospital," she said. "We're going to test you right now. If you test negative, you'll be able to leave the apartment, with the same restrictions as the other girls."

"What day is today?" Bloom asked confusedly. "How long has this been going on?"

"You've been in total lockdown for two weeks," Griselda answered. "It's Duomensis 6 today." She frowned. "I see you haven't been keeping with the news."

"It's too depressing," Stella said, her eyes filling with tears. "We've been trying to stay away from all of that."

"A smart move," Griselda answered. Mirta's mother took out her device and needle, and motioned for Flora to come first. The reading came back negative.

"Next," she said.

Everyone in the apartment tested negative. As soon as they did, the girls let out a cheer.

"Yay!" Amore shouted.

"We're okay!" Layla gasped, partially in disbelief.

"I knew we wouldn't get it!" Chatta cheered.

"You guys, we did it!" Musa grinned.

Stella, though, was looking downcast. Flora gazed at her as she turned her head, her arms crossed. The other girls stopped cheering and immediately stared at Stella, looking awkward.

"Sorry," Musa whispered.

"Well, you still need to be careful," Griselda added, observing Stella with sympathy. "Look out for each other."

Flora nodded. _I'll make sure we're all okay. _She smiled.

_And I know just where to start…_

All throughout the day, she and Digit worked with the laptop. They read as many files as they possibly could, but could only find biological information. There was a huge list of proteins and cells, so many which Flora could not keep track of.

"What does all this mean?" she asked Digit, whose eyes narrowed.

"I don't know," she admitted. "It doesn't look good, though." She sat up. "I've gotta take a break. All this data is making me tired." She flew out, heading towards the common-section.

"Hey, Flora," she heard a voice. Bloom was walking into the room. "How're you doing?" she asked, closing the door.

"I'm trying to decipher this stuff, but I can't," Flora answered. "Digit ran an algorithm to sort through the files, but all we found was a bunch of numbers and RNA proteins."

"Is this Vasiliev's creation that you told us about?" Bloom sat next to her. "But why is it so… biological?"

"I don't know," Flora answered. A bad feeling was starting to settle in her gut. "If only I were a scientist. But as it is, I'm just a simple Linphean raised in a priestly family." She let out a sigh.

"I just wish I could find out," she admitted. "Vasiliev's done something big. I don't know what it is, but he forced Tecna into doing something terrible. I need to find out!"

"Flora, you have to let it go," Bloom protested. "I know Vasiliev's a horrible man, but we've got bigger things to worry about."

"But he's somehow connected to all of this!" Flora cried.

"How?" Bloom asked.

Flora frowned. Scanning through the files, she tried to find information.

She gasped as she saw a name across the screen. A name they all found so familiar, but something that she couldn't believe she was seeing on a Zenithian computer. VALTOR ALEXANDROV.

Bloom recoiled as if the words were made of lightning. "Vasiliev had information on – Valtor?"

"It's not the same Valtor," Flora realized. "It's a man from the Age of Blood." She read Vasiliev's notes aloud.

_An icon to the people of Zenith, Valtor Alexandrov was to be a great emperor of Linphea. While working for the last king of Zenith, he created a virus, meant to spread to all Linpheans. However, the foolish king, in an attempt to suppress nationalism, had him exiled to Omega._

_ I am proud to say I have done much to replicate his work. One of my successes has been breeding the T. Typhoonis bacteria on Linphean vines, in a controlled environment. This creates an essence that affect the lungs directly, and makes it spread much, much farther._

The color drained from Flora's face. She felt absolutely sick to her stomach, as if someone had gutted her completely. Next to her, Bloom looked horrified. She lifted her head.

"Vasiliev created Typhoon," she whispered. "He used Tecna to program it, and has been building it all this time! Tecna had no clue that she was creating a virus – just that she was programming stuff for him! And because he had a hold over her, she couldn't refuse! Don't you see?" She paced around. "And now the virus has done what it was supposed to!"

"But there's one problem with this," Bloom frowned. "Why, then, didn't he send it to Linphea? Wasn't that the whole point?"

Flora frowned. _She's right… _She stared at the ground, absolutely stumped. _My theory must be wrong…_

Then Bloom let out a gasp.

"It was Valtor," she breathed. "Valtor's the one who sent the disease to Magix! He was the Emperor of Zenith, after all! He did it after the events on Linphea!"

"What are you talking about?" Flora stared at Bloom in disbelief. "He _died _in Linphea!"

"Actually, he didn't." Bloom stared at the ground. "I meant to tell you this before, but I couldn't bring myself to mention it, after the onset of the virus. I tried asking Faragonda if I could go to Zenith myself, but she absolutely refused, saying that no one was to leave campus" –

"Bloom," Flora said, though she already knew what her friend was about to say.

"Valtor's alive," Bloom breathed. "I knew that he didn't die on Linphea. Somehow, he found a way to transport himself out of the lake. Then he must've gone to Zenith, and then sent the disease into Magix!"

"But scientists said the disease was on Magix as early as late Duodecemensis," Flora answered. "Valtor couldn't have possibly reached here until Unimensis 1."

"Then it was the Trix," Bloom answered, her eyes flashing. "Do you remember what Icy said? 'Darkness is taking over the whole world'! At the time, we didn't know what it meant, but" –

"But why Magix?" Flora asked in confusion.

"He was driven out of Magix before," Bloom answered. "Even with his spells, he wasn't able to take over this realm. He must've realized that the only way to take over a planet as strong as Magix is to attack it at its core. And once Magix falls, the entire UR will be at his command. This is all part of his plan!"

"We have to find Faragonda immediately!" Flora was on her feet.

Just then, Musa barged into their room. Flora stopped as soon as she saw her friend's face, streaked with tears. She motioned quickly for the girls to follow her.

"Faragonda needs to see us," she wept. "Something terrible has happened."

* * *

"It's not possible!" Stella said in horror. "No _way_ Valtor could've walked away from that!"

They were in Faragonda's office. Bloom, Musa, and Layla were staring at Nabu, their faces ashen. Mirta's parents had horrified expressions on their faces, as did Flora.

"Now, let me ask a question." Faragonda frowned at Nabu. "Why were the Specialists and my student outside of the school's barriers in the first place? Why were _you _in Magix, for that matter?"

"I snuck out of my house last night and flew over here on my spacecraft," Nabu answered. "I – well, I wanted to see Layla." His cheeks went red.

"Illegally, if I may add," Griselda said from the corner.

"Anyways," Nabu continued, "As I reached Alfea, I came across Mirta, who was trying to break out of the barrier. With my help, she busted out. We came across the Specialists, minus Brandon, whom she'd recruited to help her find her parents. And then"… he sucked in a breath. "Then we came across Valtor.

"He took us down easily. I tried to defend Mirta and the Specialists, but then I was knocked out. I didn't see anything after that. It's a little foggy, remembering, but"… He sucked in a breath. "When I woke up, all of the others were gone, and Valtor was holding me in his grasp. And then he said to me:

"'You're one of the lucky ones. Your friends are my prisoners, and the only reason you're not is so you can be my messenger boy. So, what are you waiting for? Fly to Alfea and tell Bloom and her friends that I'm in Zenith. And make sure to tell them to hurry to the Zenithian Fortress, if they ever want to see their precious partners again.'"

There was a silence. Flora stared at Nabu, completely aghast. Musa was the first to speak.

"He's definitely setting a trap."

"Yes, but we still have to risk it!" Flora answered urgently. "This may be our only chance to take down Valtor – and Vasiliev!"

"Vasiliev?" all the girls said in unison.

"Tell them," Flora told Bloom. "Tell them our theory!"

"What theory?" Musa demanded.

"Headmistress Faragonda!" a voice called. Flora turned around and saw Avalon rush into the room, followed by Palladium.

"We were able to strengthen the barrier as you asked," he said. "Miss Flora gave me her plant, and I" –

He stopped as soon as he saw all the girls congregated there. Palladium looked alarmed as Griselda glared at him, her eyes narrow.

"We are in the middle of an important meeting!" she shouted. "The circumstances are dire here! So if you will please" –

"Griselda!" Faragonda said warningly, and the woman closed her mouth. "Bloom and Flora, please tell us what's going on!"

So Bloom explained their theory. There was a silence, and then Palladium looked even more horrified.

"The virus – _manufactured _on Zenith?" he gasped. "I can't believe it!"

"Flora, you are to turn the computer over to me immediately," Faragonda said sternly. "I want you to know that what you did was unacceptable. You should never have tried to take that computer from Vasiliev, _and _you should never have kept it a secret. None of you should have." Her gaze included the other girls.

Flora felt miserable as she lowered her head. _She's right… _The other girls bowed their heads, too.

"No," a voice said behind Flora, and she shot her head up in surprise. Avalon was frowning at Faragonda. "You know just as well as I do that the UR would've given it straight back to Zenith, and nothing would've come out of it. Now we can hold Zenith responsible for its actions."

"These girls have been taking far too many risks." Faragonda stood up. "They do not know what they're meddling with! There is so much at stake that" –

"That we're all aware of," Avalon answered crisply. "You cannot keep trying to protect these girls, Faragonda. They are going to graduate soon, and be part of the UR Defense offices. With their resumés of accomplishments, they will be in high-profile situations for the rest of their lives."

Flora gazed up as Faragonda looked over all of them. The elderly woman let out a sigh.

"Very well then, Avalon," she said. "I want you and Professor Palladium to take these girls to Zenith. Have them fight with courage. Let them free their partners, and free Zenith from totalitarianism.

"In the meantime, I will present the laptop to the UR Health Organization. The data inside of here is a complete game-changer. It's too soon to say, but I believe that, through hacking these files, the UR may be able to find an antidote, a vaccine, or even both." She gazed at the girls. "You go and take care of Valtor, for once and for all."

"We won't let you down, Ms. Faragonda," Bloom promised. "We'll end this war."

"But you must also seek extreme caution," Faragonda added, "for Valtor will strike with everything he has and try to destroy you." She met the Dominian fairy's eyes, and added, "Particularly you, Bloom."

* * *

**Alright! Now the action is up. Pretty soon, the girls are going into battle!**

**Next chapter:**

\- **From prison, Vasiliev plans his next move.**

\- **Cyros helps the Resistance plan its next move.**

\- **In sadness, Cyros admits something she never did before.**

**See you Friday!**


	45. Chapter 42: Memories, Part 2

**Hello, everyone! It's really nice out where I live. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"My name is Igor Vasiliev," the man said silkily._**

**_Cyros frowned. He didn't know who this man was, but he didn't like what he was saying. There was something offputting about him._**

**_"I'll make a deal with you," the man continued. "You release me from this prison. In return, I will grant you with great power."_**

**_"I don't want power!" Cyros cried._**

**_"Oh yes you do," Vasiliev answered. "You are to be the king of this great nation. With darling Medea gone, who's stopping you? With me on your side, we'll turn this country right around. I am old and wise, and you are a brave idealist. What do you say?"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"You're Prince Cyros," Tecna said slowly. "You're the Lost Prince of Zenith!"_**

**_ "No I'm not!" Cyros backed away, looking terrified._**

**_ "Yes, you are!" Tecna snapped. "Your father sent you here, so you'd one day be able to save Zenith! Well, you're a thousand years late, but you're going to do this now! You have to bring Premier Alexandrova down before the plague spreads to Linphea!"_**

**_ Cyros ran down the hall, sobbing, but Tecna slapped him with a digital ray, and he fell. Storming up to him, she grabbed his shirt roughly._**

**_ "Do you know how much my people have suffered? Your people, in fact? And you had to get stuck in that STUPID iceberg, when you could've ended the dictatorship!"_**

**_ "I can't!" Cyros wailed. "I'm just a kid! I didn't ask for this!"_**

**_ "I didn't ask to become a cyborg!" Tecna snarled. "I didn't even ask to end up here, with you! But you don't have a choice, Cyros. Get up and do your duty!"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Heart hammering, Tecna watched as Timmy easily leapt onto the roof. In the split-second it took for Icy's dragon to jump into the roof, he dived out of the way. The roof collapsed, and Icy fell into the hut. Immediately, Timmy, Brandon, Sky, and Jared leapt after her._**

**_"So, who's the dork _now_, Icy?" Tecna heard Timmy say._**

**_"Here in the Resort Realm, your powers are weaker," Brandon added. "You can't fight us with direct magic." His eyes flashed. "Surrender!"_**

**_"Why would I do that?" Icy smirked as Darcy and Stormy flew into the hut. "This isn't over." Their hands glowed with magical spells, threatening to blow the Specialists to the groun._**

**_"But it's gonna be soon!" Timmy shouted._**

**_"That's right, and _****you're ****_gonna be the losers!" Icy laughed._**

**_With a sinking feeling, Tecna knew Icy was right. _****They're gonna die, and there's nothing we can do about it…**

* * *

CHAPTER 42: MEMORIES, PART II

Igor was no fool. He'd known, all this time, exactly what Valtor was planning to do. And why he'd named himself after the man who'd inspired Igor so much.

He had heard news of the plague reaching Magix from one of the guards, who still pledged loyalty to him. The news had disgusted and infuriated him. The whole point of the plague, after all, was to beat those dirty Linpheans down to the ground. But Valtor had sent it to one of the strongest realms in the dimension, which had the _least _chance of being badly hit.

Still, Igor chose to lay low. He told the guards not to release him yet, and wait for the opportunity to arise. He knew, without a doubt, that it would come soon.

_Valtor may have conquered this realm, but he's not going to control it. _The people of Zenith still believed in their old government, and weren't going to stay under Valtor's control.

Tecna had no idea what was coming for her. That girl thought she was going to escape, that she was going to evade his control. _What a fool she is. _He knew that Zenith was headed towards big, big changes in the next month.

He remembered the princeling, how his eyes had glinted with naivety. Still, he had refused to join Igor in his crusade. And now, he was allied with Tecna.

_It doesn't matter_, Igor thought. _I will soon have her in my clutches again. For the rest of them, well, they'll all cease to exist._

The thought delighted him, and he smiled, relishing the image of Tecna, weak and defenseless in his lab.

* * *

Cyros gazed at the ration-bars, trying to arrange them in formation. A food-like concoction made of suet and grain, compressed together into a somewhat edible log. _Even the fish on Omega was better than this. _He moved them into a circle, trying to make them look somewhat aesthetically-pleasing.

A month had passed since he'd found Tecna on the streets. He was now in Tecna's old house, the Ivanov residence, along with the other members of the Resistance. He stared at the lumpy formation before him, his eyes closed.

"Kid?" a voice called. Mara walked into the room, stopping as she saw Cyros. "What do you think you're doing?" she snapped.

"I'm making a cake out of ration-bars," Cyros answered.

"No, you're not," Mara answered bluntly. "You're coming with me, right now. It's time for our meeting." Muttering something about incompetence and children, she grabbed Cyros by the arm.

They reached the dining-hall. Ivan sat at the foot of the table, a map in his hands. He, Rasputin, and the other members of their squadron were seated. They looked up at Cyros and stood, and everyone except Mara bowed.

"Hi," Cyros said awkwardly, sitting at the head of the table. He wasn't used to this – especially since these people were now his "subjects". He gazed around at the group of people.

After they'd found Tecna, – or Anastasia, as she was apparently called – Ivan had decided to make her house the official headquarters of the Resistance. They'd all gone there, placing protective spells around the building so that no one would find them. It wouldn't last forever, but it would be a safe house – for now.

_They feel safe because _I'm _here_, Cyros realized. They all felt safe to be there, planning together and figuring out their next course-of-action. _Well, not _all _of us. _Dzon, Fyodor, and Kesha were in the factories. This left Ivan, Mara, and Rasputin; Irina was huddled in the corner, holding her baby in her arms.

"My child," she slurred, her eyes lowered.

Cyros gazed sadly at Irina. He'd heard stories about her – the dying woman whose body had been severely injured through childbirth. And now, nothing could be done to revive her.

_But we'll save this world. _He stared around. _We have to._

"It's been weeks since we were here," Mara said, "and we haven't attacked yet. We have to launch our offensive soon."

"And we gotta do it before the big blizzard comes," Rasputin grinned.

"Quiet," Mara said sharply. "When's the perfect day? We need to set a date for our attack."

"But we've been waiting for _Sestra_ to recover," Cyros protested. "We need her in order to attack."

"I have news for you," Mara snapped. "That girl isn't waking. We can't plan on her being awake for this."

"That's not true!" Cyros stood up so fast, his breath came out in gasps. "Tecna _will_ wake. She _has _to wake up!"

"All the same, I agree with Mara," Ivan said. "We've been waiting for too long. We have to attack soon."

"I've contacted all of my former military colleagues," Lydia added, emerging down the stairs. The war-veteran had taken up the post as Tecna's nurse, and she was the only one allowed inside Tecna's room. "None of them like Valtor. They say there're so many riots in the countryside, so much dissent. It'll only be a matter of time before they all break out."

"What're we going to do?" Cyros asked. "How are we going to stop this? _Stop Valtor from holding Zenith?_

"Valtor has been lying low for quite some time," Ivan said, frowning. "No one has heard anything from him. His puppet is officially the head-of-state, and that's all we know. We know the fortress is definitely under his control; however, he's not actually made any kind of statement."

"He must be waiting for Magix to fall," Mara said grimly. "Waiting for the situation there to become dire enough, so he can send troops. He wants the UR to think he doesn't exist."

"Then we have to get him before he does that!" Cyros realized. "But – when?" He frowned.

He'd spent hours over the past month, researching all the Zenithian history he possibly could. It was horrifying, reading about the cruelty that'd been wrought on his people. Worst of all had been the date of the king's assassination – Duomensis 9, 12. On that day, three-thousand enemies of the new regime were beheaded, including his parents. Josef Sokolov, the first dictator of Zenith, had claimed his supremacy over the blood of the royals. _It's coming up – three days from now –_

Suddenly, he gasped. Turning towards Ivan, he shouted, "We have to march on Duomensis 9!"

"What?" Mara was on her feet. "That's too little time!"

"We need to!" Cyros insisted. "It's the Day of Darkness – the time when everyone will riot! We need to fight then!"

"You mean the Day of Light," Ivan said. "That was the day when Sokolov removed this nation from darkness, and saved us all from the tyranny of monarchy. Or so they say." He let out a snort. "It's supposed to be a holiday."

"Well then, that's even _better_!" Cyros insisted. "We're living under an emperor now, aren't we? The people who know their history will march on him, wanting a free world, and the people who don't will anyways attack him, because they want their premier back!"

Mara frowned. "I don't think" –

"It's a perfect idea." Ivan stood up. "We're getting ready for the attack. We'll discuss battle-strategies soon."

"Okay," Cyros agreed. "I'm gonna go now, but I'll come back later."

"See that you do," Mara said crisply. "Come back in an hour."

Cyros nodded, heading to the kitchen. Grabbing himself the cake of ration-bars, he headed up the steps.

He stopped as he reached Tecna's room. He, Rasputin, and Mara had created a magical screen around her bed, so that no one could receive contamination. Lydia wasn't there, which was perfectly fine with him. Placing his cake on the nightstand, he stared down at her sleeping face.

"_Sestra_," he whispered, "please, _please _wake up."

No response. Tecna lay perfectly still, as if in death. The only indication that she was still alive came from the tubes nearby. He sat down on the floor and pulled a squished candle from his pocket, sticking it into the ration-bars.

"You probably don't know this," he said, "but today's my birthday. I guess that makes me – a-thousand-twelve? A-thousand-thirteen? …Thirteen, I guess. It was also your birthday some time ago, too. I made this cake for the both of us – I'm sorry you can't eat it." He bit into one part of the ration, and gagged.

He still hadn't gotten used to the combination of fat and grain the bars were made of. How food could be compressed into one log was entirely beyond him. He knew, back when Zenith was a kingdom, the realm was filled with glory. Placing the bar down, he murmured, "Never mind, then – you're probably glad." He let out a sigh.

"I never told you this," he whispered, "but there's a reason why I ended up in the ice. It was one day, months ago – well, a thousand years ago, too. A day in Duomensis, just like this. Master Ying and Mistress Yuie – they wanted to talk to me about something serious.

"They told me I needed to step up my training." He swallowed hard. "I needed to learn combat, about the world, about _life_. I didn't want to. We got into a fight, and they told me I needed to grow up, that I needed to stop being such a child. And then they dropped the bombshell – they told me my family was dead.

"I got really scared. I ran away, to the upper regions of Omega, where I was forbidden from going." A tear trickled down his face. "I got caught by the dragon, and it froze me. I used my prism-power to stop myself from dying, but I was trapped. Ying, Yuie, and the rest of them died in the attack against the Gatekeepers, and I wasn't even there for them. I should've stayed with them. But no, I was _gone_. They died thinking I'd deserted them."

Now the tears were fully coming. He saw the tears fell into the cake, smudging everything and creating a gray river at its base. They muddled, exactly the way as he felt.

"But if I hadn't left, I'd have never found you, _Sestra_," he said softly. "I know you're mad at me. I know I should've gone back to Zenith and become king. But I'm going to make it up to you. I'm gonna save this realm from Valtor, and help all these people. I'm going to do it, _Sestra_!"

There was still no response. Cyros let out a howl, the tears dripping uncontrollably down his face.

"Please wake up!" he cried. "I can't do this without you, _Sestra_! I need you to _wake up_!"

He continued to cry, his voice breaking. Suddenly, a light emanated from Tecna's chest. He stared down in surprise, wondering what was going on.

* * *

All around her was blackness. Soothing and undulating, it pulsed within her, forcing her into a sudden, unsettling yet welcoming calm.

She wondered if this was what it was like to be dead. Then she wondered if she _was _dead. Was this the end for her? Was this the end of her life?

If it was, she wanted to remember. She wanted to remember every wonderful moment of her life, the exhilarating and the defying and the sorrowful. And… the romantic ones, too. The memory came to her, of the day Timmy had saved them in the Resort Realm…

"Your backup plan _does _have a backup, right, Timmy?" Sky's voice rang nervously from inside the fort.

_No it doesn't_, thought Tecna fearfully. _No… it doesn't. _She closed her eyes.

"Wait – what's that?" Mirta pointed upwards.

Tecna stared up. A Red Fountain aircraft was flying towards them, hovering straight over the grove. _What?_

"How do you want to go?" Darcy asked. "Illusion delusion?"

"Ice statues?" asked Icy.

"Storm slap?" added Stormy.

"How about all three at once?" the three witches added in unison.

Tecna stared up. The ship had moved just over the fort, right above the witches. Icy, Darcy, and Stormy gasped in confusion. "Huh?"

Tecna saw, with immense relief, that its pilot had spotted the danger below. The cannon compartment opened, aiming towards the destroyed hut.

And then the three witches yelled as they were blasted out of the fort.

"Just in time, I see," a cocky voice grinned from above.

"Riven!" Musa shouted in happiness.

"What are you doing here?" Tecna cried, immense relief coming over her.

"Timmy radioed me," Riven answered. "I tried to get here as quickly as I could, but I got caught in a hurricane over the Krishna Ocean."

With a sinking feeling, Tecna remembered a few hours before, how Timmy had radioed someone while they were running from the monsters. How she'd screamed at him to get moving, that there was a time and a place for gadgets, and that this wasn't the time…

_But if he hadn't come, we might all be dead. _Suddenly, a jolt ran through her, and she asked fearfully, "Where _is _Timmy?"

"Under there!" Musa shouted.

She gasped as she saw him, lying under the rubble of the hut. "Oh, Timmy!" she cried, running towards him in alarm.

"See you later, dorks!" Icy shouted, flying out of the rubble.

Tecna couldn't care less about them. _Timmy… I hope he's okay… _She grabbed him, pulling him out of the debris. He winced, gazing up at her with a slightly confused expression.

"You should've gone after the witches," he said. "I messed up."

"What are you talking about? You were a hero today, Timmy!" Tecna cried. "What you did was amazing!"

"I didn't do anything special," Timmy said modestly. "Jared designed the traps, and the rest of you guys built everything. And then Riven was awesome, showing up out of nowhere" –

"But _you _made it work," Tecna answered. "That's not the point, though." She closed her eyes. "All this time, I've been blaming you for my problems. My family forbade me from dating, which is why I avoided you initially. I projected my anger onto you when you didn't recover the Codex. But I knew I really liked you, although I was terrified to tell you how I felt. And then I got angry with you for not making the first move" –

Suddenly, tears were pouring down her cheeks. Timmy stared at her in alarm.

"You're… crying?" he asked. "Why?"

"I have no idea," Tecna sobbed. "I didn't even know I _could _cry!" And she hadn't. Cyborgs weren't meant for crying, after all – the ducts around her eyes made her more resistant to showing emotion. In her eight years as a cyborg, she had never let out so much as a sniffle.

She'd never done this before. It felt like such a relief to pour everything out and tell Timmy everything, getting it off her chest. And it felt so soothing, in a bizarre way, to be in such shambles. _Now I know what they mean when they say crying is a release… _Brushing her ears away, she looked up at Timmy.

"I almost lost you today," she said, "and that made me realize how much I absolutely adore you."

"So you're _happy _I survived," Timmy grinned, "and therefore not sad. So that makes your tears seem… illogical."

And suddenly they were both laughing. Tecna couldn't stop the hilarity from taking over, the excitement of being reunited with him again. _It feels so good to not fight anymore –_

She gasped as a triangular brooch appeared on her chest. Timmy stopped, staring at it in fascination.

"Awesome!" he cheered. "You got your Charmix!" He smiled. "So you'll be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!" Tecna cried. The two leaned forward, and then their lips met, seeming as if they would never let go.

And now, Tecna felt her mind come back under her control. Instead of the memories taking over, she now felt resilient and brave, as if she had all the power in the world. She felt as if her body had now come completely under her control.

_I _won't _let things end like this. _It became clear to her. _I will rise out of this slumber and help the world. For it is my duty. I am here to help save the universe!_

Her breathing became more and more even. The blackness slowly dissipated, and shapes began to appear. Her eyes began to slowly open, everything coming into focus.

She saw the room of her childhood around her, her old bedroom. Once it had been a place of nightmares, but now she embraced it, for it was the place she loved the most. An orange forcefield was around her, and she stared in surprise as it disappeared.

Someone was standing above her. A boy, to be exact. She stared up in surprise, her heart doing a double-flip.

"Cyros?" she breathed.

"_Sestra_!" Cyros shouted, jumping down. She gasped as he grabbed her in a tight hug.

"Ow," she groaned, surprised at how heavy Cyros was. "Hey, stop it!" Leaning backwards, she stared at him. "You've grown so much," she breathed.

He no longer looked like the child he'd once been. Instead, he looked far more confident, like someone who was capable of making decisions. Not just for himself, but for everyone. She stared at him in amazement.

"What was that glow on your chest?" Cyros gasped.

"It doesn't matter," she whispered. "All it means is that I'm okay now. I'm so glad you came for me, Cyros." She hugged him tight.

Then the door banged open, and Tecna stared forward. Two men and a woman were in front of them, staring in shock. An indigo-haired man stepped forward.

"Welcome, Anastasia," he said with a clipped voice, "to the Resistance. I believe we have some important matters to discuss."

* * *

**So it's official! TECNA'S ALIVE! We all knew she was going to survive, of course, but she finally woke up. That's just too exciting.**

**I've been looking at the calendar, and it seems I miscalculated. Since my graduation is in under a week, and I want to post everything by then, I need to post more often. The number of total chapters will probably be more often than I anticipated. I don't know if the next update will be on Monday or on Sunday or tomorrow, but it will be soon.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **The girls, Nabu, Avalon, and Palladium head to Zenith to defeat Valtor.**

\- **They are forced to make more sacrifices in order to fight against Valtor's army.**

\- **While fighting, the girls encounter surprising developments in the form of the Specialists.**

**See you soon!**


	46. Chapter 43: One by One

**Hello, everyone!**

**So I've decided that, for the next week, I'm going to post a new chapter every single day. I am almost done writing and editing, so it will be over soon. I hope you all enjoy this next installment!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_ Mirta brushed her tears away. "Sometimes I wonder if it was the right decision."_**

**_ "Of _****course ****_it was." Flora answered. "Mirta, you're so much more whole and complete now that you've made the change."_**

**_ "You call _****this ****_being whole and complete?" Mirta yelled. "Every day I wonder why I'm like this! So messed up, so broken, so out-of-control"…_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"What are you saying?" Mirta glared at Flora. "That I can't handle myself?"_**

**_"No!" Flora held her hands in the air. "That's not what I said at all!"_**

**_"Don't you know how hard this is for me?" Mirta snarled. "You have no idea how it felt when the witches and Eris _****both _ganged up against me! And now you're trying to stop me from proving myself!"_**

**_Flora winced, putting her arm around Mirta's shoulder._**

**_"You'll get the chance to prove yourself, Mirta," she answered desperately. "I just don't want you to get hurt."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_It seemed like time came to a standstill as Flora lay on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness. She saw visions of the _****_war in Linphea, Zenithian troops attacking village after village, and Bloom's fury that she'd kept secrets. And then she saw Tecna, disappearing into the portal…_**

**I failed them****_, she thought. _****I hurt everything and everyone. It's my fault I'm going through this now.**

* * *

CHAPTER 43: ONE BY ONE

The ship landed at the Zenithian tarmac. The other girls made ready to leave, transforming into their fairy-forms. Only Flora remained at her seat, feeling queasier.

Something was not right. They had been able to get through immigration easily; no one had stopped them from entering the realm. And there hadn't been even a little resistance when they'd landed at the tarmac. It seemed too good to be true.

_Valtor really _wants_ us here_, Flora realized. _He _really _wants to face off against us. And he wants us to let down our guard._

"Is everything all right, Flora?" Bloom asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"I'm fine," Flora answered, looking up at Bloom. "I'm just worried about Mirta."

"We're all worried about our boyfriends," Musa agreed, sounding troubled. "I hope Riven's okay"…

"He'll be fine, Musa," Tune whispered, placing a reassuring hand on her bonded fairy's shoulder.

"They'll all be fine," Layla added. "They've faced worse before."

_That's true_, thought Flora. _But what if Valtor has something terrible in store for them?_

She gazed at the rest of the pixies, who were wearing military vests and seated on one chair. Just as they had last year, when they'd fought in Shadowhaunt, they'd insisted on coming along with the girls to battle Valtor. Not surprisingly, Layla had tried to keep them from coming, but they'd somehow managed to convince the girls over.

_We have to protect them_, Flora thought. _We're not going to let anything happen to them._

She glanced over at Stella, who was huddled in the corner, her hands over her face. She had been uncharacteristically silent this entire time, and her head was bowed. She walked up to her friend, placing her hands on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" she whispered. "Brandon isn't here. You didn't have to come" –

"We've been through this, Flo!" Stella fired up. "I want to _personally _see the end of Valtor. If there's any chance of saving my _snookums_, it'll be here!"

"Sorry," Flora shrank back. "I'm just worried about you. But I want you to know that we're all here for you." She remembered the pain she'd gone through last year, when Mirta had almost died from her transformation. "I know it's not nearly enough, but we support you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Flora," Stella whispered, hugging her. "You always know what to say." They sat there quietly, gazing at the ground.

"We need to go," Avalon said, breaking the silence.

They trooped out of the ship and towards the wall of the palace. Bloom held a printed map of the fortress with her, and scanned it. "There're three walls surrounding this fortress," she said.

"Correct," Palladium said. "We need to invade through all three of them."

"Okay, how in the realms are we supposed to do that?" Stella demanded. "Valtor's robotic army is here! Talk about freaky!"

"I don't know," Bloom answered. "I think Valtor desperately wants us here. He wouldn't put something too insurmountable in our way."

"But we can't let our guard down for even a second," Flora answered. "At any point, he could deceive us."

"I don't think we have much of a choice, Flora," Layla said. "If we have any chance of saving our boyfriends and Mirta, we have to be careful."

Flora bit her lip. She knew she had a tendency to be overly cautious and hesitant, which, at times, caused her a lot of trouble. It reminded her of the time when she'd almost failed to heal the Flower of Life, her panic and hesitation getting in her way…

It had been a year prior, almost to the day. An unseasonably warm Duomensis day, the first hint of spring was in the air. Flora was speaking to Faragonda, tears streaming down her cheek.

"I can't do it, Ms. Faragonda," she wept. "I'm not even good enough to have my Charmix yet."

"But you are a Linphean fairy, a fairy of nature by birthright," Faragonda answered. "You need to have hope."

"Why can't you just send one of the seniors to fix this?" Flora wailed. "Or better yet, why can't you come yourself?"

"Because that would be giving up," Faragonda answered. "In any case, the seniors are needed here, and so am I. _You _are the only person who can do anything to cure the Flower of Life."

"But if I should make the slightest mistake, then Pixie Village will die."

Flora saw Faragonda's eyes narrow. "No ifs, ands, or buts, Flora. If you want the world to survive, you must take control of your own destiny!" Then the hologram disappeared, and Faragonda was gone.

Flora took in a deep breath, shuddering and crying. Pixie Queen Ninfea sighed.

"Flora," she begged, "please, _do _something."

_I can't_, Flora thought, feeling weaker and weaker. _I just can't…_

And she still couldn't do anything. A year later, she was still just as powerless as she'd been before. She closed her eyes, feeling helpless.

"Flora!"

The nature-fairy opened her eyes, startled by the shout. Musa was staring at her, an expression of horror on her face.

"Look out!"

Flora turned around. Three robots were flying just towards her, nearly about to cut her neck. Letting out a gasp of horror, she ducked out of the way, only narrowly missing the blade.

"Let's go!" Musa shouted, pulling Flora off the ground.

More robots were coming into the street. Their eyes were monstrous as they faced the Winx, letting out blasts of power at them. One of them turned towards Layla, shooting her with a blaster-dart –

"Get out of the way!" Palladium appeared, shoving Layla onto the ground. He faced the robot, his golden mane flowing down his back like that of a warrior prince. Avalon joined him, facing the robots head-on.

Jets of purple light streamed out of their hands. Flora watched in awe as they blasted the robots, taking them on. _They're not a force to be reckoned with…_

But the robots weren't giving in without a fight. They trickled out of the palace, facing the two warriors.

"Now's our chance!" Stella whispered. They ran through the first wall of the fortress, slamming past the robotic defense. Making it through the first wall, they appeared, glaring out in front of them.

But then more and more robots appeared. They took a solid stance, surrounding the five girls.

"Oh no," Digit whispered. "What are we going to do now?"

"Hang on." Musa frowned, connecting with her seismic sense. As the robots came closer, Stella drew power from the moon, Bloom from her Dragon Fire, Flora from the plants, and Layla and Nabu from water-molecules in the air. They grimaced, converging their powers to create a shield.

"Musa, hurry up!" Layla called.

"I got it!" Musa said triumphantly. "These robots are way weaker than the ones that were sent to Linphea. Because Valtor is fighting for control over Zenith's power-source, technology isn't working the way it should be. I can hear the creaking in their steel joints!"

"So, what do we do, exactly?" Stella asked.

"Send out a ripple of energy," Musa answered. "They have a knob in their backs. Once you deactivate that, they'll fall!"

"All right." Flora focused her energy. "Floral burst!"

"Moonbeam blast!"

"Dragon ripple!"

"Morphix circle!"

"Sonic wave!"

The five fairies and Nabu converged their powers, focusing on the knobs of the robots. Immediately, the robots fell to the ground, dismembered. They let out a cheer, seeing Valtor's army completely destroyed.

"All right!" Stella cheered.

"There's more!" Nabu pointed in alarm.

Flora stared forward. More robots were marching out from the second wall, aiming at the girls. They shot from above, and the girls jumped out of the way.

"We'll take care of them!" Avalon and Palladium had appeared. "Just go ahead into the fortress!"

"I'm joining them," Nabu added, wielding his staff. "You girls need to get inside."

"Nabu, don't be insane!" Layla protested, staring at him. "There're hundreds of robots! You can't beat them all" –

"GO!" Avalon roared.

"We don't have any time!" Stella grabbed Layla's hand. "Come on!"

They broke through the second wall of the fortress. Sending out another ripple of energy, they temporarily deactivated all of the robots within this courtyard. While the robots struggled, they forced their way through the third wall.

"Now!" Layla yelled. They ran into the fortress, knocking the robotic guards over. Slamming the door open, they ran inside.

But someone was waiting for them on the other side. To be precise, a certain someone with magenta hair. His purple sickle gleamed as he glared at them, a triumphant leer on his face. Musa let out a strangled cry.

"Riven?"

* * *

"Duck!" Layla shouted, pulling Musa out of the way.

The sickle sliced the air where Musa's neck had been. Flora turned and stared at Riven, who had a sardonic expression on his face. His eyes were darker than normal, and he was smiling cruelly.

"Riven," Musa whispered, tears in her eyes. "Are you going to break my heart again?"

"You _deserve _to have your heart broken," Riven laughed. "You're weak and way too emotional. Even Darcy, for all her witchiness, has more class than you."

"How could you say that?" Musa whispered.

"You hide your emotions by putting up a tough front," Riven whispered, "but I know who you are inside. You're weak and hideous and unstable. It's because of you that Tecna died, disappearing into the void. And it's because of your weakness that your friends are about to die, too!"

_How could Riven betray us like this? _Flora couldn't believe it. He had broken Musa's heart so callously, without any regard to their relationship together. Tune glared forward.

"Heartbreaker!" she snarled. "I supported Musa through all of the times you broke her heart, but I don't support this!"

Flora shuddered. _We need to get out of here. _She touched her friend's arm lightly.

"Musa," she whispered, "I know it's horrible, but we can't let his betrayal get to us. Valtor's trying to hurt us where we're hurt the most, and render us weak and useless. We need to get out of here" –

"_You _get out of here!" Musa wrenched her arm away from Flora's hand. "It's time Riven and I had some alone time. Move along!" She glared at the girls, who took a step back.

"Good choice, Musa," Riven cackled. "Prepare to face the end!" He swung his sickle at her.

"Don't you hurt her!" Tune snarled, shooting an attack-spell at him. "I'm not leaving you, Musa! We'll teach him the lesson he deserves!"

"Let's go!" Bloom shouted. "Musa, Tune, catch up with us later!"

The girls ran ahead. In the darkness, Flora could make out a trapdoor ahead, which led to a room above their heads. Bloom blasted the trapdoor open, flying up into the room above.

Just before Flora lifted off the ground, the ground suddenly began to shake. She let out a gasp of horror as cracks appeared in the floor

"What's going on?" Stella asked frantically.

"The floor's about to disappear!" Layla gasped. "MUSA!"

Flora flew up through the trapdoor, her heart racing. Digit let out a strangled cry

"Tune!" she shouted for her sister. Without warning, she shot through the trapdoor.

"Digit!" Stella cried, trying to grab her, but it was too late. Eyes wide, Flora stared in horror down below.

She saw the floor collapsing. Musa, Riven, Digit, and Tune fell through, taken by the force of the rocks. There was a high-pitched scream as they fell down the bottomless pit, disappearing instantly. And then, there was complete silence…

"No!" Layla cried out. "Musa! Tune! Digit! I'm coming!" She tried to fly down, but Stella grabbed her.

"We can't do anything, Layla," she cried. "Musa's gone!"

"No she isn't!" Layla yelled, trying to wrench her arm out of Stella's hand. "We have to save her!"

"No, we have to move on." Bloom stared at Layla. "Remember what Sky said to us on our first mission to Shadowhaunt? 'First the quest, then the heroics.' Defeating Valtor is more important."

"You can't make the same mistake as Digit," Amore whispered, tears in her eyes. "We can't lose you, too."

"I'm not worried about Musa," Flora lied, trying to reassure herself as much as her friend. "If anyone can give Riven what he deserves, it's her. She will prevail."

Layla swallowed, trying to blink back tears. Finally she nodded. "All right. Let's go and finish off Valtor!"

Flora wondered if the pain of missing Musa had been dimmed by their loss of Tecna. _Since we already lost one member of our group, it makes losing a second one much less painful. _The thought sounded horrible, but she knew it was true.

_We have to continue on. For Tecna, and now for Musa. _They walked through the palace, trying to find where Valtor was.

* * *

"From now on, we need to follow my Dragon Flame." Bloom walked forward. "Right now, I can sense his energy to the north. He's somewhere deep within these castle walls."

Flora followed Bloom, feeling a sinking feeling in her heart. She felt as if there was something sinister in these walls, a castle that had seen much warfare over thousands upon thousands of years.

This castle had first been built in the early years of the Age of Blood. A king had commissioned it in honor of his conquest of Oppositus. It had later overseen the conquest of Linphea, all of the Dimensional Wars, and the communist revolution. All of that dark history bore down on Flora as she stared up at the castle.

_This is a horrible place to be_, she thought frantically. _Just… horrible…_

"We're heading towards the palace gardens," Bloom said, gazing at the palace walls. "This is the way."

"Is Valtor there?" Layla wanted to know.

"No," Bloom answered. "But we have to start somewhere."

Flora squeezed her eyes tight. _Let's hope we get somewhere… _She gazed up out the window.

Outside on the street, there was complete chaos. People were swarming into the Zenithian fortress, shouting and yelling. Flora stared as she saw them yelling, attacking the robots with blasters and hexes. She gasped in astonishment.

"Look!" she shouted.

The others turned around. Layla ran to the window, staring at the amalgamation of people, wearing orange-and-blue uniforms, fighting against the Zenithian robots. Some were holding protest-signs, such as 'DOWN WITH VALTOR' and 'WE SHALL NOT TRADE ONE TYRANT FOR ANOTHER!' Flora saw Avalon and Palladium fighting courageously, beating robot after robot.

"Wait!" Layla shouted. "I don't see Nabu anywhere!"

"Do you expect to see him?" Stella pulled her from the wall. "He's probably tangled in the confusion somewhere. Don't worry, he'll be fine!" Clearly, Brandon was entrenched in her mind.

"Let's go," Bloom said, breaking into a run.

They ran down the hall, looking for the palace-gardens, located in the central courtyard. Eerily, there were no robot-guards or soldiers around. In fact, the entire place was empty, which made Flora's hairs stand up on end. She couldn't figure out what was going on.

_Is this some kind of trap? _Was Valtor tricking them into letting their guard down? Was that what was going on?

No, they couldn't let their guard down. They'd already lost Musa, and they weren't about to lose another person. Flora swallowed as she gazed at the palace, closing her eyes.

They reached the central courtyard. Covered in snow, there were no real gardens, except for a few gnarled, leafless trees. _But at least they lend me some power… _Around the perimeter of the square courtyard were a few wooden cottages for the servants. In the middle was a statue of Medea Alexandrova.

"Okay, so we entered a courtyard," Layla said in confusion. "Now what?"

A cackling voice filled the air. "Now, my sweetheart, it is over."

"Look out!" Stella shouted as a Morphix blast filled the air. Nabu flew down from the roof, creating Morphix out of the snow. "Goodbye now, Layla." He lifted his staff in the air.

"Nabu!" Layla yelled, sounding distraught. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're a fool," Nabu laughed. "You know I don't love you – _no _one could possibly love you. I shall destroy you and join my liege, Valtor, in conquering the world!" He sent a strike of water at Layla.

Layla struggled as the water bound her, taking a life of its own. She fell to the ground, collapsing, letting out breaths of pain and exhaustion. "Please, Nabu," she begged. "Please don't" –

"Dragon's heat!" Bloom shot Nabu with an attack-spell, releasing Layla from her binds. Stella glared at Nabu.

"I don't know what's with you boys," she declared. "First Sky, then Riven, and now you. We're not falling for this!" She summoned energy from the moon. "Lunar eclipse!"

"Chatter slam!" Chatta shouted, knocking him with another spell.

Nabu struggled, falling to the ground. He fell in a heap on the snow.

_Could he be spelled? _Flora thought frantically. She couldn't believe the possibility hadn't occurred to her before. It had been one thing for Riven to act like this, but _Nabu_? _At least Stella's and Chatta's spells are keeping him down…_

But Nabu jumped up, and a gleam appeared in his eyes. "It's over!" He shot the statue of Medea down.

Flora watched in horror as the metal statue, probably thousands of kilos, toppled over. It fell straight towards Layla and Nabu.

"No!" she cried. "Trees, stop this!" She focused her power on the gnarled trees.

She could feel them resisting her power, as they were old and Zenithian. Nevertheless, one complied, extending a branch out to stop the statue.

"Thank Solare!" Stella grinned. "Good thinking, Flo!"

Then the eyes of Medea's statue lit up. Letting out a stream of electricity, they scorched the cottages, setting them on fire. Flora cried in horror as the entire courtyard blazed, burning them to the ground.

"Do-ta-do-ta!" Piff screamed in horror.

"We have to get out of here!" Bloom shouted.

The girls flew towards the exit of the courtyard, to the opposite side of where they'd come from. Bloom burned a hole in the door, and they all forced their way through.

"Wait!" Stella shouted. "Where's Layla and Piff?"

Flora turned around. Through the fierce glow of the fire, she saw Layla with Nabu, trying to wrestle him off the ground. "Listen to me!" she shouted. Piff was pulling on Nabu's shirt, trying to get him to cooperate with Layla.

"Layla! Piff! Get back here!" Bloom shouted.

The statue suddenly gave way, resisting the tree's grasp. It fell to the ground, right to the spot where Layla, Piff, and Nabu were. It fell, slamming straight to the ground.

That was the last thing she saw before the flames ate the rest of the courtyard up.

* * *

"No!" Flora cried. "They can't be gone!"

She stared desperately at the courtyard, but found nothing. She couldn't hear anything, or see Layla or Piff. _They're lost in the fire… _Tears stung her eyes.

"We have to keep moving," Stella whispered. "If we stay here any longer, we're doomed!"

"But we keep losing people!" Flora sobbed. "We can't keep doing this!"

"I know it's harsh," Bloom whispered, "but Layla wouldn't want us to stay here any longer. She would be angry with us for dawdling. We have to move on."

"All right," Chatta whispered, for once at a loss-for-words. "Let's go on."

They walked up the steps towards a dark room. According to Bloom's map, it was the machinery room, on the way to the throne room, where she was sure Valtor was. "His Dragon Fire gets hotter as we go this way," she said.

"Okay," Stella said, grimacing. "We need to move quickly, though. The sooner we get to him, the sooner we can free our friends and the pixies."

_What if they're dead? _Flora thought, unable to bear the possibility. _Tecna's already gone… I wouldn't be able to bear it if the rest of them were gone, too…_

They reached the metal room. It was filled with mecha-suits, which Flora stared at in surprise and distaste. _Why are we in this room?_

"Come on," Bloom said, leading the way. "We need to get out of here if we want to" –

"Going somewhere?" a voice above them said. Flora looked up and had the shock of her life.

Mirta was flying over them, her eyes dark. She was wearing her fairy-outfit, laughing deviously. A Whisperian spell was in her hands.

"This is the end of you all!" she shouted.

Before, when Nabu and Riven had attacked Layla and Musa, Flora had been completely shocked. She couldn't believe that their boyfriends would betray them in such a manner, and join the side of Valtor. Still, her priority had been to get her friends out of harm's way.

This was different. This completely and absolutely devastated her, the idea that Mirta would betray her.

A mecha-suit rose from the ground. It moved towards Flora, its arms extending to her windpipe. Flora let out a scream as it hit her, knocking her to the ground.

"Oh no you don't!" Bloom shot the mecha-suit with her fire. "We're not letting you beat us!"

"Mirta," breathed Flora, flying up to her girlfriend, "what's gotten into you?"

Mirta's looked terrible. Her normally-pale face was completely bloodless, and her breathing was slow and heavy. But her eyes were fiercely determined.

"It's your fault that things became this way, you know," she snarled. "You never wanted me to have a good relationship with my parents. You claimed you were concerned for my _safety_. Indecisive and hesitant, that's what you are!"

Flora gasped. _No, that's not true… _But she knew Mirta was right – about her being indecisive, at least. Last year, she'd almost refused to do anything to save Pixie Village, opting instead to do nothing. That was, until Mirta's hands went to her shoulders…

Mirta's hands were pale yet strong, calloused yet determined. She bent down towards Flora.

"You can do it," she whispered fiercely. "You didn't give up on me all these months, and I'm into giving up on you. And I'm certainly not going to let you give up on yourself! Go ahead, Flora!"

_She believes in me_, Flora realized. After all the struggles Mirta had faced, she was now declaring _her _trust in Flora. A surge of power filled her, stronger than she'd ever felt before. "All right!" she declared.

She focused all of the energy possible on the flower, on her heart. Connecting deeply with her magical source, she began to shine brilliantly, a green aura overtaking her. And then she felt herself connecting with the Flower of Life. With all the energy she had, she sent healing rays into the sick bud.

She could feel the Flower's very sickness, and see exactly what had happened to it. She saw Icy freezing the newly-formed bud, a bud that was just rising from the frost of winter. _She may have frozen the Flower… but she didn't take its heart. _She guided it gently through healing spells, filling the grove with a warming, invigorating light.

She could hear Mirta, Layla, and the Specialists gasp behind her. And then the Flower of Life burst into bloom. Even more beautiful than it had been before, it shimmered with radiant power.

And now Flora stared at Mirta, understanding dawning on her. She couldn't believe they hadn't figured it out before.

This was not the same Mirta who'd convinced her to heal the Flower of Life. This was not the same Mirta who'd kissed her two months ago, at the New Year's Party. No, this was someone else altogether. And Valtor was to blame.

"She's been spelled!" Flora shouted to her friends. "Valtor spelled your boyfriends too, don't you see? I have to free her!" She pulled out her fairy-dust just as Mirta swept down on her.

"Stop right there, girlfriend!" Chatta hollered, shooting Mirta with a hex. Mirta howled in pain, immobilized.

"Don't hurt her, Chatta!" Flora shouted. Lifting her fairy-dust in the air, she flew after Mirta.

Mirta growled. Releasing herself from Chatta's grip, she grabbed a metal rod, throwing it at Chatta. The pixie squealed, dodging just in time.

"So _she _gets to hurt _us_?" she snapped.

Flora flew above Mirta, who stared at her with furious eyes. Before the former witch could attack, she opened her fairy-dust, pouring it onto her.

She could feel the natural energy healing Mirta, breaking through the magical barrier placed on her by Valtor. _It's working, it's working… _She was almost there…

Then a mecha-suit came up to her and grabbed her by the waist.

"Get off her!" Chatta shouted, blasting it off. Flora continued working, trying her hardest to break the spell.

But she could see the mecha-suits flying towards them, their expressions grim and intent furious. If she stayed here any longer, they would take her.

Her friends acted quickly. They flew up to her, their expressions grim. "Come on!" Stella reached for Flora, meaning to pull her away from Mirta…

But a mecha-suit grabbed Bloom, Stella, Lockette, and Amore, throwing them to the side. Unintentionally, towards the direction in which they wanted to go. They screamed as they fell through the door on the other side, landing in another room. A mecha-suit stood guard, closing off the door.

"What?" Mirta's eyes came back to normal. She stared around the room, and gasped in alarm. "Oh no!"

A mecha-suit grabbed Flora and Chatta, pulling them away from Mirta. Her head hit the floor. And then she felt the metal pounding against her, trying to rip her apart. She could hear Chatta and Mirta's anguished screams as she lay on the ground, completely broken.

_I'm sorry, Mirta_, she thought. _I love you. _Closing her eyes, she succumbed to the wrath of the machines, glad that her love was freed from the prison of her own mind.

* * *

**Next chapter:**

\- **General Ivan tells Tecna everything she needs to know about the Resistance.**

\- **On the Day of Darkness, the Resistance mobilizes for battle.**

\- **Tecna and Cyros discover something crucial.**


	47. Chapter 44: The Missing Tube

**Previously on AUP…**

**_ "It's been weeks since we were here," Mara said, "and we haven't attacked yet. We have to launch our offensive soon. When's the perfect day?"_**

**_ "Duomensis 9!" Cyros cried._**

**_ "What?" Mara was on her feet. "That's too little time!"_**

**_ "We need to!" Cyros insisted. "It's the Day of Darkness – the time when everyone will riot! We need to fight then!"_**

**_ "You mean the Day of Light," Ivan said. "That was the day when Sokolov saved us all from the darkness of monarchy." He let out a snort. "It's supposed to be a holiday."_**

**_ "Well then, that's even better!" Cyros insisted. "We're living under an emperor now! The people who know their history will march on him, and the people who don't will anyways attack him, because they want their premier back!"_**

**_ "It's a perfect idea." Ivan stood up. "We're getting ready for the attack."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ Timmy's family had been quite disappointed that he'd showed no interest in magiball, instead preferring to learn physics and math. Of course, his older brother had been great at everything, and a prodigy at magiball._**

**_ Needless to say, Jay Singh's dreams had been completely supported all throughout his life. Lilia and Ishaan had taken him to magiball practices, got him lessons with the best instructors, and cheered when he'd gotten a scholarship to Indra University for his skills. He played in a minor magiball league based in Vyagrha, a province of Magix._**

**_ Timmy had barely known him. Jay was forty years older than him, and had already established himself in magiball by the time Timmy was born. But every step of his childhood, he had always felt as if he was in Jay's shadow. His teachers fondly remembered him as "Jay's brother", and even some of the students seemed to know who Jay was._**

**_ Timmy hadn't been born with natural talent. He wasn't a prodigy like Jay, or even like Tecna. Everything he'd been good at, he'd had to work hard for, his entire life. His parents had gotten him a tutor for math and physics, and he'd spent countless hours reworking problems. Even then, he would never be as good as someone like Tecna, who had been born with natural talent, and had worked far harder than he'd ever done in his life._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Tecna's father looked up and said, "There's something else you need to kn" –_**

**_Suddenly, the wail of an alarm pierced through the air. Tecna turned to her parents, whose eyes were narrowed._**

**_"You need to get out of here, now," her mother said urgently. "There's no time to waste!"_**

* * *

CHAPTER 44: THE MISSING TUBE

Tecna stared in confusion at the group of men and women that gathered before her and Cyros. Two days had passed since her awakening, although she had slept all throughout that time. Now she was awake, and she stared up at the soldiers in front of her.

The soldiers were wearing orange-and-blue battle uniforms. _The old colors of Zenith… _They looked incredibly relieved as they gazed at her.

"Um… who are you?" she managed.

The man in the front bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Anastasia. I am General Ivan Trotsky, the leader of the Zenithian Resistance. We were founded a thousand years ago, at the end of the Fifth Dimensional War. For a long time, however, we have been without hope. That all changed in mere seconds, when we came across you and the prince of Zenith." He nodded at Cyros.

"_When _did you come across me?" Tecna asked, feeling more and more confused. "Cyros, how are you here? Last time I checked, you were abandoned in Omega!"

"Remember that day when Icy came and captured you?" Cyros asked. Tecna nodded. "Well, I managed to sneak onto the ship and come over here."

Tecna's mouth fell open. "You did not."

"Sure did," Cyros answered. "I fell out of the ship, though. And then I gained my wings. I flew down into Kremniy, and then a lot of stuff happened" –

"Stop!" Tecna gasped. "You got your _wings_?"

"I did," Cyros answered, smiling. "Wanna see them?" He transformed.

Tecna stared at Cyros. He was wearing a top-to-bottom orange suit, made of metal, and his yellow wings were glimmering. He'd also shot up in height since she'd last seen him, and his eyes no longer looked scared or childish. Instead, they appeared confident and alert, ready for battle.

"You're not the little boy I met in the ice," she breathed.

"That's all thanks to you, _Sestra_," Cyros answered. "You were right. It was hard at first, accepting my role. But I'm ready to take back this kingdom, in the name of my mother and father. I'm ready to free the Zenithian people from tyranny!"

"I hate to interrupt this touching moment," the general interrupted, "but we have more important matters to discuss."

Tecna looked over at him. General Ivan frowned, looking more and more severe.

"A month-and-a-half ago, a virus was released into Magix," he said. "Right now, the disease has killed a thousand people and left thousands more completely ill."

Tecna gasped, completely taken aback. "Valtor!"

"Indeed," Ivan said grimly. "We are sure it is him. After his defeat, the UR has claimed him to be missing, but we know that he is still here, ruling over Zenith. The UR was supposed to establish a provisional government here, but those plans all fell through the roof when the virus hit Magix.

"In fact, you yourself contracted a strain of the virus. It is fortuitous that you even woke up at all. And now that you are awake, we must strike."

Vaguely, Tecna remembered agony coursing through her body as she lay on the street. "You guys found me there?"

"Well, I found you," Cyros answered. "Then the Resistance came across me, and they brought you here. We kept a contagion-containing bubble around you all this time."

"The virus – we have to stop it!" Tecna cried.

"Magix's best doctors are working on it," Ivan said severely. "There is no need to worry about that. We have to end the tyranny at its source, if we have any hope of saving the world." He let out a sigh. "We're planning a strike on the fortress tonight."

Tecna stared up at him in surprise. "_Tonight_?" she asked.

"Well, we've been planning it for weeks," Ivan answered. "But now that you have recovered, we wonder if you would wish to go with us."

Tecna hesitated. It wasn't that she wasn't ready to take down Valtor, or help her beloved nation find its freedom. "I'm not sure how much use I'll be, just having woken up."

The man let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, you poor child."

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Tecna demanded.

"Technically, she's not a child anymore," Cyros said defensively. "In fact, she just turned eighteen a few weeks ago."

Tecna whipped her head towards him. "_What_?"

"Unimensis 6," Cyros answered. "Four weeks ago."

Tecna's mouth fell open. "How long have I been"…

"Five weeks," Ivan answered. "We were worried you might never recover."

Tecna's head began to spin. _How much has happened between then and now? _She could scarcely imagine what had been going on with the world. _Everyone could be in so much danger now!_

As if sensing her consternation, Ivan let out a sigh. "Don't you see? You are a symbol of resurrection and courage. You have met death in the face not just once, but _three times_. First: when you went through your cyborg surgery. Second: when you sacrificed yourself to close the Omega Portal. And third: when you survived the disease thrown into the world by Valtor. Anastasia Marie Ivanova, you are an inspiration not just to us, but to the entire world. Even if you don't come into battle with us, the Resistance will breathe a sigh of relief, knowing you are alive."

"But you should come, _Sestra_," Cyros said. "We need you to fight Valtor."

_He hasn't changed much, has he? _Tecna thought in amusement. Cyros was still the same kid he'd been before, having so much faith in her when she didn't have any in herself. She smiled at him.

"Yes," she said. "I'm in."

Suddenly, she gasped as something within her chest began to shine. The same pulsing white light she'd seen before overtook her, and she collapsed to the bed. Cyros shouted in alarm.

"What was _that_?" he cried.

Tecna struggled to pull herself up. The others had shocked expressions on their faces. A cyborg with wild pink hair and a yellow, crooked grin sniffed the air. Then he grinned.

"I got it!" he laughed. "The Crystal of Zenith! It must be inside of _her_!"

"We don't have time for your conspiracy-theories, Rasputin!" a woman with navy-blue hair snapped. "There's no way the" –

"The Crystal of Zenith?" Cyros stared at Rasputin with horror. "That can't be right. The Crystal can't be out of the Infinity Room! Papa told me that if that ever happens, great danger will follow!"

"What do you mean?" Ivan demanded.

"A millennium after, a huge blizzard will take over Zenith," Cyros answered frantically. "We need to stop it! We have to return it to the Infinity Room, and return it _now_!"

"It is Duomensis 8, the Day of Darkness," Ivan answered. "A thousand years have passed since the king's assassination, in the Year 12." His voice grew quiet as he realized what had been said.

"We have to _do _something!" Tecna cried. "We have to get the Crystal to the Infinity Room!"

"Hang on!" the navy-haired woman snapped. "We don't even know it's inside of her!"

"Mara is right," Ivan answered. "How do you _know _you're carrying it?"

Tecna gazed around at the confused, somber faces. She closed her eyes, connecting to her magical source within her heart, the same way Avalon had taught her to. Deeply exhaling, she connected to all parts of her body, feeling everything inside of her – from the wiring, to the control-center, to the heart.

Unlike the previous times she'd done this exercise, when she hadn't really been trying, she could feel the magic running through her veins. But for the first time, she sensed _two _strains. One that was her own, and the other that was a foreign, predatory strain. She looked upwards and let out a gasp.

"It's inside of me," she whispered. "Vasiliev. When he created my cyborg body, he must've used it to stitch everything together." Her head raced. "I don't believe it!"

"That makes no sense," Mara snapped. "Why would Vasiliev put such an important artifact inside of _you_?"

"I don't know," Tecna answered urgently. "But we've got to get there. We've got to bring it back to the Infinity Room!"

"Wait!" Cyros protested. "The Crystal has become a part of you now! What will happen to _you_?"

"It doesn't matter," Tecna responded. "I have to get it there." She glanced at all the others. "Will you help me?"

"Of course!" Rasputin shouted, positively cackling with glee. "And just for the record, I was right!"

Mara shot him a glare that should've burned him to the ground.

"Great, you were right," she snapped. "An apocalypse is about to come. This is _bad_, you fool!"

"I know," Rasputin grinned, "but at the same time, it's kinda cool."

_This guy is crazy_, thought Tecna as Mara groaned. _But that doesn't matter. _Turning to Ivan, she asked, "What are we going to do now?"

"My troops will strike the Fortress at ten o'clock," he answered. "I will be there, leading the group into battle. While we fight against the robotic army, you shall enter the fortress with Cyros, find the Infinity Room, and connect the magical source within!"

Tecna pulled the covers off, forcing her weakened body to stand. With Cyros's help, she exited the room, determined to make way for battle.

* * *

His head felt as if it had been shoved underwater and banged repeatedly against a wall. Every second, it was a struggle to breathe, and all around him was darkness.

The pain was far too much for him to handle. He felt as if it was burning into him, destroying every part of his body. He couldn't move. All throughout this time, he had succumbed to the dark void within him, the one that kept him trapped.

Through the darkness, he thought he could see a face ahead of him. A woman's face was ahead of him, and she was smiling - but not in a pleasant way. Her emerald eyes were cruel and catlike as she gazed at him.

"Hello, Timothy," she said, her voice a sneer. "So glad you could make it." Her eyes glinted. "Lucky to have made it this far, are you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Timmy's voice wavered.

"You're smarter than I thought you'd be, I'll give you that," she smirked. "But still a fool, as always. Fighting for a lost cause!"

"You're _not _a lost-cause!" Timmy yelled back. "I tried to save her, Flora! I really did!"

"Oh, you thought I was talking about _her_?" she laughed. "Then you're even stupider than I thought. No, Timothy, I was talking about _you_!"

Timmy's heart thudded. He stared dismally at her, at her cruel eyes and dark spirit. Then countless more faces appeared in the dark.

"You always keep fighting to be recognized." First appeared Sky's face, his blond hair flowing elegantly and prettily down his face. "But what's the point, when you don't even know how to fight?"

"You're just weak," Brandon added, holding his arms up. Timmy's heart hammered as he saw Brandon's huge muscles.

"Stop!" he shouted. "That doesn't mean" -

"You couldn't even play magiball," his father said, appearing out of the dark. "All those times we took you to the field, and you never learned. How pathetic."

"You were the child we never wanted," his mother added. "You were just an _accident_."

"Yeah, Timothy," another voice added. Timmy stared up at Jay Singh, whose blue jersey gleamed at him. His black hair, hair that all in his family but he and Saladin possessed, was long and sleek. "How could anyone _ever _want you, when they have me?"

"Stop it!" Timmy bawled. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"I never wanted you to come to Red Fountain," Saladin added. "You're so lucky you got in, boy. Mark my words, you don't deserve to be part of my prestigious establishment!"

Now tears were running freely down Timmy's face. He lowered his head, and then all the voices joined together in unison.

"Failure," they chanted, their eyes darkening. "Failure! Failure! Failure!"

"No!" Timmy cried out. He collapsed to the ground.

He refused to look up as the people swirled around him, cackling. _They all hate me… _He shuddered, filled with pain. Then he heard footsteps, and then stared up.

Tecna was walking towards him, her neon eyes glowing. She stared down at him, knelt on the ground. Unlike the others, she had no expression on her face, no emotion whatsoever. Through the glow of her eyes, her metal arm and leg gleamed. Her voice too was flat and lifeless.

"You abandoned me," she said. "You left me, when I needed you the most. It's because of _you _that I disappeared down the Omega Portal in the first place."

"I know!" Timmy cried. "I wanted to make it up to you, Tec!"

"You're too late," she answered coldly. "I'm far, far out of your reach now."

_No_, Timmy thought. _That can't be true! _He stared up at Tecna.

As he stared at her, he thought he could see something. The faint outline of wings, just behind her. Unlike the triangular wings from before, though, these were much more elaborate. He stared at those, and then stared up at Tecna's eyes.

_This isn't Tecna_, he realized. There had been a time, in past years, when Tecna would've been cruel like this. But this was not the Tecna he'd fallen in love with, not the Tecna who existed now. Never in the past year had she ever spoken to him like this. She had treated him with nothing but kindness, though there had been always a certain wariness he'd detested. He'd felt that she was avoiding him, because she thought he was weak.

_But that's not true_, he realized. _She was only trying to protect me. From dark forces I never could've imagined. _He stared forward.

_Now it's my turn to protect her. It's my turn to get out into the world, to save her from herself! _He turned towards all the apparitions, shaking his head sadly.

"Goodbye," he murmured. They all vanished into mist, leaving nothing but memories in their wake.

Then the darkness began to fade. He slowly felt himself starting to regain consciousness, feeling his body again. First his fingers and his toes, and then his arms and legs, and then, his heart. The last to regain feeling was his head as he opened his eyes, staring around.

He was in a prison-cell. Vaguely, he remembered having a potion shoved down his throat, darkness condensing on him like night. _But for how long? _He stared around.

There was only one way to find out. He ran to the bars, trying to push through, but they held firm. Staring helplessly, he knew there was a spell on them, preventing them from opening.

Suddenly, a rumble sounded above him. Timmy gasped in horror as he saw the ceiling breaking, threatening to fall onto his head. He let out a cry.

_I have to get out of here, and _fast_!_

* * *

"The battle is about to begin," Ivan said, gazing down at the fortress. Tecna followed his gaze, staring down.

A huge group of fairies, fairy-men, witches, and wizards were standing at arms, holding their weapons in their hands. The non-magical fairy-men, as well as the warlocks, were wearing the full Resistance uniform, a blue-and-orange vest with a circular emblem in the center. The fairy-women and magically-enfranchised fairy-men wore the vest over their wings, cutting a slit in the back so they could fit it on. Mara herself was leading a group of soldiers, her expression grim as she gazed at her cohort of fairies and witches.

"There are two thousand of us in this cohort alone," she announced. "We shall be the first to breach through the Fortress of Kremniy, breaking through its walls. We shall usurp Valtor and place our new sovereign on the throne!" She turned towards the young prince.

Immediately, everyone began to shout. "All hail Cyros the Liberator!"

Cyros looked awkward. "I'll do my best," he promised the group of ecstatic people. He smiled once, and then turned around, looking alarmed. "Hey, Tecna, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Tecna answered, her breath coming out heavily. "Don't worry about me."

"You don't look good," Cyros said nervously. "The Crystal expended a lot of energy, healing you from the virus, and that's made you weak, too. I don't think you're ready to go into battle."

"We don't have a choice," Tecna said firmly. "If we don't do this now, the blizzard will come and freeze this whole planet, just like Domino. We _have _to get to the Infinity Room!"

Cyros sighed. "Okay. But I'm not pulling it out of you until we reach the Infinity Room. You'll be too weak otherwise." Ivan walked up to them, handing each a vest.

"You'll need this," he said. "Put it on, over your transformations."

Tecna transformed. Mara grabbed the vest and slid it through Tecna's wings, buttoning it in the back. "All set," she said, viewing Tecna.

Tecna gazed down at her vest in awe. It fit her tall and slender figure perfectly, the orange half contrasting perfectly with the blue. She looked over at Cyros, admiring the blue-and-orange vest's contrast with his orange tracksuit.

"Make sure you tell us how the Crystal looks when you yank it out of her!" Rasputin shouted gleefully. "I can't _wait _to see it!"

Tecna shuddered, trying to hide how the words "yank it out of her" made her feel. Mara shot Rasputin a death-glare, and he shut up at once.

"Now!" Ivan shouted.

Mara blew her whistle. The soldiers in her cohort flew up to the castle, creeping alongside the battlements and peaks. She watched as they shot spells at the robots and quickly crept alongside the battlements, before they could strike back. More and more soldiers joined the fray.

"Your turn," Mara hissed to Tecna and Cyros. "Good luck, Lover Girl. You'll need it." She vanished to the tower.

_That was weird_, Tecna thought. _Why did she call me that? _Cyros grabbed her hand.

"Let's go!" he shouted. The two flew straight towards the castle.

* * *

The ceiling was about to give way. From his position in the bars, Timmy stared up helplessly.

_I can't believe it! _He wasn't going to let himself die now, not at this moment. _I have to get out of here! _He stared up frantically, pushing at the bars.

To his shock, the bars bent ever-so-slightly. The metal was rather weak and easily bendable - and it looked new, too. As if it'd been constructed during Valtor's reign.

_The miners must've shipped him weak metal_, Timmy realized. _He may have taken over their nation, but not their hearts! _But if he broke the bars, the ceiling's supports would be completely gone.

_I'll have to be quick. _Using all the strength he had, he squeezed his skinny body through, breaking the bars. They bent more and more, and more material fell from the ceiling. Timmy stared upwards, his mouth hardening.

_Now! _Using all his strength, he shoved his way through, forcing himself in through the bars. He managed to reach the other side, falling to the floor just as the ceiling caved in.

_I made it! _Nearly weeping with relief, he pulled himself to his feet, running towards the exit.

Now all he had to do was search around. Search, and find out where Tecna was. He headed down the hall, glancing around.

_The laboratory. _He was in the laboratory, the place where Tecna was being held. Overjoyed, he reached into his pocket, and then frowned.

_My locating device - it's gone! _The guards must've taken it from him when he was arrested. Frustrated, he stared around, trying to figure out where he was.

But just then, an idea came to him. _If I can get to the sanctum of the laboratory, maybe I can create a new one! _He had memorized all of the details about Tecna's cyborg-programming, including her serial-number. Creeping into the side of the hall, he found a mecha-suit, hiding inside.

The disguise worked. He headed down the corridor, looking through the suit's programming to find the location of the central chamber. _Due south. _In relief, he followed the directions, walking past robotic and human guards alike.

* * *

Tecna staggered through the fortress's corridors, her body feeling weaker and weaker by the second. Everything within her was beginning to drain, and she felt sick, the pain consuming her from inside.

"This is the way to the Infinity Room." Cyros's voice wavered nervously. "It'll be crawling with guards. Are you sure you" -

"I'm absolutely positive," Tecna answered. "We have to get there. And fast." Her voice wavered.

They ran through the corridor, down towards the throne-room. According to Cyros, it was quickest if they passed through the throne-room. They reached the door, staring at its glossy brass knocker, and the intricate carvings in the iron door.

But something was off. Not only were the walls shaking, but so was the entire castle itself. It appeared as if it was about to fall entirely, breaking apart at its foundations.

"This is it," Cyros whispered. "The throne-room." He pushed it open.

Tecna stared in front of her. The throne-room was… empty. There was no one here, not even a sign of life. Even the faded, colorless carpet and the throne looked destroyed. _This can't be it – impossible!_

"No," Cyros whispered. "We have to head out of here."

"Okay," Tecna agreed, turning around. But before she could move, a piercing pain shot over her. Letting out a cry, she fell to the ground.

"_Sestra_!" Cyros shouted, running up to her. "What happened?"

Tecna hadn't been in this much pain since the day she'd contracted the disease. She could feel the Crystal's raw energy rebelling against her own, freezing her to the ground. Collapsing, she fell to the ground.

She couldn't move. All she could do was remain there helplessly as pain overtook her, shooting every nerve down.

* * *

Timmy gazed around at the circular room in awe. The dome, he could tell, was a feat of engineering, something he could've never imagined before. The glass shined brightly, bringing light inside. It was almost beautiful.

If it wasn't for the horrors certainly held in this room, it would be.

Timmy gazed around the room, at the computers on the side. _If only I can find a phone here… _He headed to one of the computers' desks, finding a phone inside the drawer. Gazing at the computer in front of him, he frowned.

The test-tube the computer was supposed to control was gone. Every single one of the purple test-tubes was intact, but the one in front of him wasn't. _That's odd. _Frowning, he connected the phone to the computer. Using the programming mechanisms he'd used before, he coded it to understand Tecna's location.

Since this phone was much newer than his device, it was able to understand his directions easily. He entered the software, and the phone bleeped.

SOFTWARE UPLOADING, it read.

_It'll take another thirty minutes for it to upload_, Timmy thought. In the meantime, he would wait. Gazing around the room, he frowned.

A glass cauldron of golden liquid was before him. He walked up to it cautiously, staring at its bubbling surface. _Is that a potion? _He pulled out the phone, scanning its surface.

MADE OF FLORES DE IRIS AND METAL, the reading came back.

_What's that for? _Timmy thought curiously. He gazed down, staring at the pot in fascination.

He was so busy with his new discovery, he didn't even hear anyone enter the room. Only when something cold touched the back of his head did he recoil in surprise. He slowly turned around, and had the shock of his life.

A glass cannon stared straight into his face, threatening to strike at any moment. It had the same sickly purple liquid as the test-tubes. _A superweapon… _Vasiliev was perched atop its carrier machine, his eyes glimmering.

"Make one move," he warned, "and you'll wish you were never born."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN! … Sorry, I had to do that. Couldn't resist.**

**Next chapter:**

\- **Bloom faces Valtor on her own.**

\- **Flora recovers from the attack and regroups with the other girls.**

\- **Elsewhere in the fortress, Vasiliev wreaks destruction and havoc.**

**See you tomorrow!**


	48. Chapter 45: The Infinity Room

**Hey, guys! The showdown between Bloom and Valtor begins!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"When Basan found that he was the son of King Ludwig, he felt cheated. He became determined to claim his throne, and the Ancestresses helped him. Travelling to Domino, he spent many years inciting anger against his brother, King Oritel."_**

**_Now Tecna thought she remembered studying the Dominian Civil War. However, no one ever told them that Basan had the Dragon Flame, or that he was connected to the monarchy. No wonder he's so angry…_**

**_"Later," Faragonda continued, "The Ancestresses broke Basan out of prison. He sought to destroy the nation his brother had worked so hard to build. This time, they were successful, and although Oritel banished his half-brother to Omega, the Ancestresses finished the job, at the cost of their lives."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ "What?" Mirta's eyes came back to normal. "Oh no!"_**

**_ A mecha-suit grabbed Flora and Chatta, pulling them away from Mirta. Flora felt the metal pounding against her, trying to rip her apart. She could hear Chatta and Mirta's anguished screams as she lay on the ground, completely broken._**

**I'm sorry_, Mirta_****_, she thought. _****I love you. ****_Closing her eyes, she succumbed to the wrath of the machines, glad that her love was freed from the prison of her own mind._**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_Suddenly, it became clear to her. "Valtor's got the Dragon Fire!"_**

**_"Exactly." Avalon nodded. "But there is more to it than that. All fairies power-sources are at the essence of their spirits, the essence of their survival. And whatever puts Bloom's power out will put Valtor's out, too."_**

**_"You're saying"… Flora breathed._**

**_"I'm saying," answered Avalon, "that whatever kills Valtor will kill Bloom as well. Their fates are inevitably tied. And in order for Valtor to be defeated, they may both have to die – together."_**

* * *

CHAPTER 45: THE INFINITY ROOM

"No!" Bloom cried, breaking down into sobs. "I can't believe it! No!"

She had lost her best friend, the girl who had taken her through Magix and fought witches on her behalf. The girl who'd known Bloom's skill as soon as she'd seen her. And now, she was completely gone – and so were their bonded pixies. She shuddered, remembering what had just happened only a few minutes before.

_"Bloom, you have to continue on!" Lockette cried._

_ "No!" Bloom yelled back. "I'm not continuing anywhere without you guys! We lost all the others – I can't lose you, too! It's not happening!"_

_ "We don't have a choice!" Stella shouted as Valtor's general ran towards her, his sword about to pierce her arm; she dodged just in time. "You have to go!"_

_ "No," Bloom said firmly. "It's not happening, Stel. I'm not losing another one of us!"_

_ An array of darts flew at them. Stella shoved them back with a sunrise burst, thrusting her bag into Bloom's hands._

_ "Take this!" she shouted, flying towards the Zenithian general._

_ Bloom stood where she was, watching in fascination as Amore and Lockette immobilized the man, and Stella grabbed her fairy-dust, showering it over him. The general winced, resisting against her power, but she held tight. The coconut scent filled the air, and a brilliant light shined._

_ Then the spell was broken, and the man fell to his knees. His eyes tilted up as he stared at Stella. "What… happened?"_

_ Then suddenly, the room rocked furiously. The earthquake was tremendous, one that Bloom had never felt before; pure terror coursed through her heart as she fell to the ground. As she lay down, she heard a rumbling above her, and looked up in horror._

_ The ceiling was shaking. Something within its foundations had crumbled, now that the building was rocking so violently. Above her, Bloom heard a snapping noise._

_ Then the ceiling fell straight towards them five._

_ "No!" Stella shouted, blasting Bloom with her magic._

_ It happened in mere seconds. Bloom was blasted out the room, with the bag. The last thing she heard was Stella and the Zenithian man's anguished screams as the ceiling fell, crushing them into oblivion…_

_What a horrible way to die_, Bloom thought. The tears had stopped, and were now replaced with something new. Anger, fiercer than even her own Dragon Flame.

They'd fallen prey to all of Valtor's traps. All of her friends had sacrificed themselves to their emotional connections, which Valtor had so cleverly exploited. And now, he had Bloom, the fairy of the Dragon Flame, alone.

_But I won't fall for his tricks anymore. _It was clear to Bloom what she should do. She needed to pick herself up and head straight towards Valtor. No more distractions, not even in the form of boyfriends. It was time for her to end the foe she should've ended a long time ago.

She gazed down at the bag she had, which Stella had given her. Healing-potions, extra weapons… and a blue chest. Bloom took it out, gazing at it.

She had entirely forgotten about the Water Stars. They gazed back at her, glinting with the power to destroy both her and Valtor. The moment she gazed at them, she knew instantly.

_Our fates are linked. _There'd never been any way of getting around it. She knew that she and Valtor were irreparably conjoined, and that whatever extinguished Valtor's Dragon Fire would also extinguish hers. And she was willing to pay that price. Her friends had already died protecting her, and nothing seemed more fitting than joining them in the Otherworld.

_This is the end. _Closing her eyes, she picked up the bag and followed Valtor's Dragon Flame, which she knew would take her to where he was.

* * *

Everywhere within her, there was darkness. Nothing but the cold touch of the mecha-suits and the deadly barrage of their ire. She knew that technology had won against nature, and that she was no more.

Except… this didn't feel like death. In fact, it felt like something else entirely. Almost like a rebirth, as if she was still alive.

She remembered the rebirth of the Flower of Life clearly; it had been she who'd initiated it, after all. Right at the eve of spring, the Flower had burst into bloom, bringing with it new life. And with it… a new couple.

She remembered it clearly, about a year ago. One of the defining moments of her life, it had brought her tremendous happiness, filling her to the core with joy…

They had just finished serving the sick pixies tea. Jolly had loved the tea, squealing and racing around the grove. They'd all laughed, and Flora asked the Specialists if they wanted any.

"Honestly, I'm kinda scared of that tea," Brandon said, prompting the other Specialists to burst into laughter.

"Hey, look!" Chatta pointed to the Flower of Life.

Flora looked. The Flower was opening, sparkles emitting from its core. _That's so beautiful… _She gasped as a tiny, baby pixie was ejected out of the flower, squealing in delight.

"The Flower of Life is back to normal!" Lockette declared.

"Funny," said Brandon, looking uncomfortable. "That's not what we learned in Sex Ed. I guess that explains why all pixies are female."

"That's right," Queen Ninfea answered, walking up to the newborn pixie and swaddling her in cloth. "And I know exactly what we will call her. Welcome, Prana, to the world."

Flora closed her eyes, remembering the meaning of the name. It meant "new life" in Runica, the ancient language of Magix. _A new life… maybe I can start a new life, too… _Mirta stood up, dusting her jeans.

"I should be heading back to the hospital," she said. "Dr. Iyengar wants to check up on me."

"Yeah, we should be heading back, too," Brandon agreed. "Sure you don't want a lift, Mirta?"

"Don't worry," Mirta smiled. "I'll drive my hoverbike back."

Flora watched her go, her heart sinking. _She's leaving… _Layla smiled.

"I'll spend a little bit more time here," she said. "Then we'll head back. Okay, Flo?"

"Sure," Flora said absentmindedly as Mirta walked away. The air was turning ripe with spring, and beautifully warm – she knew that this was the perfect moment for rebirth. Chatta, seeming to have recovered well, flew up to her bonded fairy.

"Follow her," she hissed. "Go and talk to Mirta!"

"Shh!" Flora said anxiously, looking around. Fortunately, no one had noticed; Layla was too busy playing with Piff. "What if she's against gay people? What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she runs away the second I tell her" –

"No ifs, ands, or buts!" Chatta pushed Flora forward. "Go talk to Mirta!"

Flora walked forward. She saw Mirta mounting her hoverbike, pulling the helmet on.

"Now!" Chatta said urgently. "Now is your chance!"

"But if she likes me too, she would've said something, right?" Flora whispered.

"Have you ever thought that she too might be shy?" Chatta answered.

It was too late. Mirta pressed a button on her hoverbike, and pushed it into gear. The hoverbike's engine turned on, and Flora gasped.

"No!" She knew almost instantly that she couldn't let Mirta go. _I have to talk to her! _She ran forward, shouting wildly. "_Mirta_!"

For a second, she thought that would be the end of it. After all, the engine was too loud for Mirta to possibly hear her. But then she saw the hoverbike skid to a stop, just before entering the woods. Then Mirta hopped off, taking off her helmet as she walked back towards Flora.

The clarity that Flora had felt just a second ago vanished, now replaced by horror. "Oh no, she heard me," she whispered to Chatta. "That must've sounded so desperate" –

"She's coming back! That's good," Chatta answered, hiding behind Flora.

Flora swallowed as Mirta walked closer, her eyes furrowed in confusion. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I wanted to tell you – I mean," Flora stammered. "I've never told anyone this before, much less another, well" – She lowered her head to the ground. "I don't know how to say this."

"What is it you're trying to say?" Mirta asked, looking even more confused.

Flora didn't answer. Behind her, Chatta was growling in frustration, and Flora couldn't speak. _I can't do this… _She lowered her head.

"Iyengar's waiting for me," Mirta said quietly. "I'm already late as it is. You know how she is – she wouldn't let me go on the Resort Realm trip until Faragonda talked to her. She'll be really annoyed with me."

"Oh. In that case then," Flora said sheepishly, "we can talk another time."

"Sure." Still looking confused, Mirta walked back towards the hoverbike.

Flora could her Chatta growling in frustration, glaring at her. "Don't let her go!" she yelled.

"But if she liked me, she would've said something." Flora was near tears.

"Flora!" Chatta glared at her and crossed her arms. "Trust your heart!"

And clear as day, Flora remembered Faragonda's words. _"No ifs, ands, or buts, Flora. If you want the world to survive, you must take control of your own destiny!"_

_I can't let her go_, Flora realized. _I _won't_. I'll trust my heart! _Running as fast as her feet would take her, she finally let it out. "I love you, Mirta!"

Mirta turned around. For a second, she looked startled and still confused. But then her face broke into the strongest smile Flora had ever seen. "I love you, too." She pulled Flora towards her, their lips meeting like the start of new life.

The kiss was the purest, most beautiful feeling Flora had ever felt. Passionate warmth, warmer than even Bloom's Dragon Fire, heated her from top to bottom. It was the fiercest sensation she'd ever felt, but also the most passionate.

Then she felt something tingle at her chest. A petal-shaped brooch was on her chest, complimenting the pink fairy-dress and green wings perfectly. A flower-shaped bag appeared on her hip, and she gasped in astonishment.

"Flora!" Chatta squealed from behind. "You got your Charmix!"

Flora laughed, happier than she'd ever felt in ages. "Thank you, Chatta," she whispered. Holding both Mirta and Chatta tight, she felt the flame of love engulf her again, filling her to the core.

And now Flora knew exactly what was going on. Against all odds, she had survived the blast, and was now lying half-dead on the floor. Precisely at the moment the world needed her.

_I can't let this happen. _She couldn't lie here idle, while the fate of the world was at stake. She had to heal this place, the same way she'd healed the Flower of Life.

_I'm going to get up. There will be no more hesitating, like I hesitated when I professed to Mirta my love. I'm going to free myself, and save my friends from Valtor!_

Her eyes opened. The world seemed hazy at first, but then she started to see colors and shapes. More importantly, she heard voices.

"She's alive!"

Arms grabbed her, pulling her into a hug. Flora knew instantly that it was Mirta, the girl whom she loved to the Otherworld and back. She breathed in Mirta's scent, feeling whole and complete – until anxiety overtook her. "Where's everyone else?"

Mirta drew back. "They're here," she said, beaming. Flora sat up, gasping at the people around her.

Musa, Layla, Riven, Nabu, and the pixies were around her, their expressions changing from worry to relief. _They're here… they survived, too… _She gazed at them, happiness filling her from top-to-bottom.

"We found you," Layla said, "and now we need to find Stella. Where do you think she is?"

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Flora heard a loud _thump_. Shrieks of "my hair!" filled the air. Musa grinned, turning towards her friends.

"That's definitely Stella, all right," she declared.

They ran towards the sound and saw Stella, Lockette, Amore, and a Zenithian man, who were lying in a heap on the ground. Flora extended her arm, pulling Stella up. "What happened?" she demanded.

"And who are you?" Musa added, staring at the man.

"My name is General Mikhail Abramov," the man answered. "For so long, I have been through peril. A hundred years ago, I was drafted as part of Great Premier Medea's army, and I worked my way up the ranks. I served as her Secretary of War – not because I wanted to, but because I would die if I did otherwise. And then when Valtor came along, he placed me under a spell, forcing me to surrender all Zenithian intelligence and fight his battles. My mind nearly broke under that strain." He stared at Stella.

"But you, princess of Solaria, you have saved me from tyranny. You broke the spell he placed on me, and for that, I am eternally grateful. For that, I am in your service." He bowed.

"Why, of course," Stella said, curtsying exaggeratedly. "I can already see you working as part of my royal guard" –

"Hang on just a minute," Layla interrupted. "Where is Bloom?"

"I blasted her out of the room we almost got stuck in," Stella answered, her expression changing from flattered to alarmed, "and I told her she needed to go find Valtor."

"Stella, where's your bag?" Flora asked, noticing that Stella's arm was empty. "Where are the Water Stars?"

"I gave it all to Bloom," Stella answered. "Oh!" She put a hand to her mouth, realizing what she had just done.

"We have to find Bloom!" Musa shouted. "She could be dead by now! We have to save her from him, and from herself!"

"But _where_?" Amore looked as if she was about to cry. "_Where is she_?"

"General Abramov, see if you can shut off all those army-robots," Stella told him. "Right now, they're fighting Zenithian rebels at the walls to the palace. They need help in order to get in."

"I will do just that," the man said, bowing again. "Thank you, princess of Solaria." He ran in the other direction.

"I know the way," Lockette squeaked. "Follow me!"

She flew down the corridor. Breaking into a run, Flora and the others followed, hoping they weren't too late to save their friend's life.

* * *

Bloom opened the door in front of her, the one which she knew would lead her to Valtor. Fists clenched, she readied herself for battle.

As halls went, this one was fairly ordinary. It was dark, with not even a flicker of light. Bloom lifted her hand and pulled heat from the air, creating a spark of her fire.

Then she jumped in surprise, realizing that this room was not quite so ordinary as she'd initially thought.

The entire surface of the room was filled with mirrors. Small mirrors coated the walls, ceiling, and the floor. The hall stretched seemingly endlessly to the left and right. Her own face reflected in every single mirror, and she jumped back in shock.

Her face looked small and distorted. She could make out the anguish in her own eyes, the sorrow at losing her friends and her fury at Valtor. _What is this place? _She tried to turn back to the door, but found that it was locked.

_A trap. _Forcing her heart to settle down, she stared in disbelief at what was in front of her.

"This is known as the Infinity Room," she heard a voice somewhere in the distance – she couldn't even tell which direction it was coming from. "Constructed by King Pyotr IV in Year 603 of the Age of Discovery, it is where all the secrets of Zenith are held. All that exists or has ever existed is contained within these walls. Too bad you won't exist for much longer."

A searing blast of fire hit her. Bloom yelled, falling to the floor, her entire body feeling as if it was on flame. Grimacing, she pulled herself up to her hands, and gasped in shock.

A million Valtors were in front of her. Everywhere on the wall, they laughed at her, leering with delight at her torture.

"Grahh!" Bloom shouted, slamming the Valtors with her Dragon Fire. But nothing happened. The man continued to laugh, his face monstrous as he stared at her.

"Give it up," he taunted. "You have no power against me!"

_He's using the mirrors to manipulate me! _Bloom realized. Valtor was hiding, somewhere in this room. _I have to find him, before he destroys me! _She focused on the mirrors around the wall.

_This is like how I found the Archives. _The mirrors reflected magical-reality, and she had to figure out where he was, based off of the angle in which he appeared in every pane.

There was just one problem: he appeared _exactly the same _in every pane. Whether she looked in front of her, behind her, above her, or below her feet, he had the same smirk on his face, coupled by the insanity of the Dragon Fire's light.

"Need some more convincing to surrender?" Valtor's taunting voice filled the air. "See what has happened of your precious Sky!"

Bloom gasped in horror as she saw Sky's face appear in the mirrors, his eyes distraught. "Bloom!" he shouted. She saw that he was chained, his arms and body wrapped in shackles.

"Sky!" Bloom cried. First she had seen him bound to Valtor's spell, and now, he was bound by Valtor's chains. "I'm going to save you!"

"Bloom, get out of here!" Sky cried. "It's a trap!"

"Really?" Bloom asked, sarcastically. "Good to know!"

"Your boyfriend is right, Bloom," Valtor cackled. "Your foolish bravery is something I have always admired about you. What do you think you're going to achieve?"

"I guess we're going to find out soon enough," Bloom answered threateningly, lifting up a sphere of her strongest fire.

"Go ahead," Valtor answered. "You'll find my location soon enough. Use whatever you have against me – but it won't bring your birth parents back."

"I don't believe you know _anything _about my birth parents!" Bloom snarled.

"My brother is out of your reach," Valtor smiled. "All of your friends are gone, Bloom – you're completely alone. I defeated your parents on Domino, and now they are forever gone. There's no one here to stop you from your doom."

Bloom didn't answer. _He's right… _She knew that there was no one here that would save her. _Which means… there's only one thing left to do. _She focused her power on the chest in front of her.

The chest opened, and the Water Stars lifted into the air. The five of them circled in the air, glowing magnificently.

"What's that?" A shocked hint appeared in Valtor's voice. She glared at his reflection in the mirrors.

Instantly, the Water Stars sizzled. A ripple shot out from the center, more powerful than Bloom had ever felt. But instead of letting them topple her, she managed to stay erect. She saw Valtor fall to the ground, the mirrors showing every move of his.

_I know where he is now. _She turned around, using the power of the Water Stars to remove the invisibility-spell Valtor had placed on himself and Sky. There he was, right in front of her, gasping as he fell to the ground. She towered over Valtor, her eyes furious like that of an avenging warrior.

"The Water Stars found you," she snarled, "and now they are here to destroy you. I am going to end you, and make sure you can never hurt anyone again!" She sent a ray of her Dragon Fire into the Water Stars.

Two jets of Serpent Water flew through the air. The first one flew straight to her left, towards Valtor. _Destroy him! _She focused all of her energy on the Water Stars, sending their destructive energy outwards as Sky's scream filled the air.

She barely had time to focus before the second jet of Serpent Water flew towards her. Like a beautiful arc, it glimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. Her own Dragon Fire was weakening, and she knew that as soon as the Serpent Water touched her, she would cease to exist.

_I'm sorry, Sky… _Her breath came out in slow gasps. Surrendering to the Serpent Water, she closed her eyes, waiting for it to end her power-source…

"LUNAR PROTECTION!"

Bloom opened her eyes, startled, as a yellow bubble formed around her. Stopping the Serpent Water in its tracks, it vaporized, diffusing harmlessly into the air.

Behind her, she heard Sky's gasp. "What's going on?"

* * *

Flora followed Lockette towards a door, her heart beating frantically. _We have to save Bloom! _Lockette pulled at the door, but gasped as it refused to budge. "It's locked!"

"Let me take care of it!" Riven broke the door with his sickle. The wood gave way, and they ran inside.

Flora gasped at the brightness of the room. There were mirrors everywhere, filling the room with dazzling light. She saw Bloom, Valtor, and Sky reflected in them, and gasped.

"Look!" Digit shouted.

Flora turned and had the shock of her life. The Water Stars were activated, and two jets of Serpent Water were streaming out of them. Flora saw one narrowly miss Valtor, who howled as he managed to dodge the blast. And that wasn't all.

The second jet was flying straight towards Bloom.

"LUNAR SHIELD!" Stella shouted, blocking the Water from hitting Bloom. Bloom looked up in shock. Stella glared at her, putting her hands on her hips. "You didn't think you'd gotten rid of us _that _easily, did you?"

"What's going on?" Valtor had recovered, and was gasping at the sight of the fairies and Specialists. "What are you doing here? I thought I'd finished you off!"

"You thought wrong." Stella glared at the wizard. "Your general broke through the floor, and we fell before we could be flattened by the ceiling."

"Mirta saved me," Flora added, smiling at her girlfriend. "She stopped the mecha-suits from tearing me apart. And then she healed me when I lay unconscious on the floor."

"Nabu stopped the statue from falling on my head," Layla added. "We managed to extinguish the flames and get out of there."

"And Riven grabbed me just as the floor cracked," Musa added. "He brought me to safety."

Flora looked over at Amore, and the two exchanged a knowing glance. It wasn't a coincidence that they'd all survived. Yes, she had broken the spell on her girlfriend, but she knew it was more than just that. Ultimately, Riven, Nabu, Mirta and even Mikhail had found the heart to save them and break through Valtor's command. Layla lifted her head and glared at Valtor.

"We're all here," she declared. "You couldn't defeat us before, and you won't defeat us again. We're all going to stand by Bloom, and make sure you can never hurt the world again!"

Valtor's eyes narrowed. "So be it," he snarled.

"Specialists, in formation!" Riven shouted. He had freed Sky from his chains, and lifted his laser-knife. "Let's go!"

The Specialists, Mirta, and Nabu flew towards Valtor, attacking him with their weapons and magic. The Winx and the Pixies hung back while they temporarily diverted the wizard. Stella turned towards the others, glaring at Bloom.

"I can't believe you used up the Water Stars!" she snarled. "What did we say about never wanting to worry about you again?"

"I'm sorry!" Bloom gasped. "I didn't have a choice!"

"Now you've been weakened," Layla added. "What are we going to do?"

"Fight him, _that's _what," Flora answered. "He's weaker because of the Water Stars, too. This is our only chance to finish him off."

"But _how_?" Digit demanded.

"I say we let him have the full-force of our powers!" Chatta declared. "Do what you did back in Shadowhaunt!"

"It's going to take more than just convergence to finish him off," Musa answered. "He's still extremely powerful. We're going to have to come up with a plan!"

"Well, come up with one _fast_, before he takes over the world again!" Bloom shouted, throwing her hands up into the air.

Flora was about to answer, but then a deafening boom filled the air. The girls gasped in horror.

"What was _that_?"

* * *

Instantly, the Specialists and Mirta turned around. "What's going on?" Sky demanded.

"This place is falling apart!" Lockette screamed in terror. "This fortress is completely unstable!"

"We _have _to get out of here," Digit added. "It's not safe to stay here any longer!"

"No!" Bloom shouted. "We need to defeat Valtor!"

"Um… where _is _Valtor?" Musa asked in confusion.

Flora looked up and gasped. A group of robots were swarming into the Infinity Room, their blasters pointed at the girls. She grabbed Chatta, dodging just as one nearly hit her.

A huge whole in the wall blasted outwards. Sending debris everywhere, the girls shielded their eyes, turning away. "Sonic protection!" Musa shouted, creating a barrier around them.

"Hello," a drawling voice called above them. Flora looked up and saw a familiar man, sitting atop a giant machine. And that wasn't all.

A huge glass cannon extended from the machine, like an arm. It pointed at the girls, its reflection glinting off the walls. The man smiled, his teeth glinting an unnatural pearly white.

"It's Vasiliev!" Flora screamed. "I saw him before! Why are _you _here?"

"You won't get away with this!" Riven shouted. "We won't let you hurt anyone!"

"Oh, but I already _have_," Vasiliev laughed. "I destroyed your friend – the orange-haired kid? Quite a lost-cause, if you ask me."

Flora let out a gasp. Mirta stared at him, fury in her eyes.

"That's our _friend_!" she snarled. "What did you do to him?"

"Why was he here?" Nabu gasped.

"You don't seem like very good 'friends', if you ask me," Vasiliev laughed. "Goodbye, children." He turned the machine around, heading into the blasted hole.

Flora didn't have a moment to respond until the robots crashed towards her. As she had no contact with nature in this room, her floral-powers were very weak. She gasped in horror as they zoomed towards her, the mirrors blinding her from their onslaught…

Chatta darted in front of her, slamming it with her own magic. The robot fell back a few steps, but only for a second.

That second was all Flora needed. Dodging out of the way, she grabbed Chatta as the robots advanced on them. Bloom let out a gasp of horror. "Where's Valtor?"

"He must've escaped," Lockette answered. "While Vasiliev came in, he escaped from the Infinity Room!"

"He's not getting away with this," Bloom snarled. "I'm going after him!"

"Bloom! No!" Sky shouted. "You can't face him!"

"Yes, she can," Stella answered. "Even though she's made some seriously stupid mistakes before, I trust her." She faced Bloom, her eyes determined. "We'll take care of these robots!"

"Please be careful," Sky whispered. Bloom nodded.

"I'm going to finish him off," she said. Flora watched as she disappeared down the corridor, out of sight.

She faced the robots, ignoring the reflections of the mirrors around her. _We have to defeat them for Bloom. _She summoned as much power as she could.

_While she's there, fighting for all of us…_

* * *

**Next chapter:**

– **Flora, the girls, and everyone else continue to fight for Zenith.**

– **Tecna and Cyros search for the Infinity Room to restore the Crystal.**

– **Bloom pursues Valtor, facing against him in the final battle.**


	49. Chapter 46: The Cannon's Charge

**This is the final chapter, everyone! It's so hard to believe that it's almost over! The epilogue will be posted later this afternoon. I can't wait!**

**Previously on AUP…**

**_"Our ancestors were, in fact, mainly native Pyrosians. However, a part of our ancestry is Dominian, which is why we, mainly the Sekhmet Tribe, have powers over fire. nWhile ancient Pyrosian magic is based off the energy of dragons, Dominian magic is based off the strength of fire. Today, the people of Pyros have both powers, which they wield in harmony with, not against, the forces of nature."_**

**_"That's… cool," Bloom admitted. She had never thought of working with a beast that wanted to kill her, but if it had worked for countless generations, she supposed she could give it a try. If you can't beat them, join them. "So what do I do?"_**

**_ "A dragon's will is unbeatable," Maia answered. "You must connect with one, accepting his dominance and strength. You must fully surrender all ego."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_"The Crystal is supposed to keep Zenith's seasons in balance," Rasputin explained, "but ever since it was removed, it's been getting colder and colder every year. Regions of rural Zenith are averaging one-hundred degrees _****below zero_ for the past two years! But soon, the whole planet will suffer the same fate. Having been separated from its life-force for so long, the Crystal will soon die. And when it does, a destructive blizzard will rage all over Zenith, killing everything and everyone."_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ "It's inside of me," she whispered. "Vasiliev. When he created my cyborg body, he must've used it_****_ to stitch everything together." Her head raced. "I don't believe it!"_**

**_ "That makes no sense," Mara snapped. "Why would Vasiliev put such an important artifact inside of you?"_**

**_ "I don't know," Tecna answered urgently. "But we've got to get there. We've got to bring it back to the Infinity Room!"_**

**_ "Wait!" Cyros protested. "The Crystal has become a part of you now! What will happen to you?"_**

**_-o-o-o-_**

**_ Before she could move, a piercing pain shot over her. Letting out a cry, she fell to the ground._**

**_ "Sestra!" Cyros shouted, running up to her. "What happened?"_**

**_ Tecna hadn't been in this much pain since the day she'd contracted the disease. She could feel the Crystal's raw energy rebelling against her own, freezing her to the ground. Collapsing, she fell to the ground._**

**_ She couldn't move. All she could do was remain there helplessly as pain overtook her, shooting every nerve down._**

* * *

CHAPTER 46: THE CANNON'S CHARGE

"_Sestra_!" Cyros yelled. "Are you all right?"

"No," Tecna answered through gritted teeth. Though the pain had subsided, she could still feel the aftershocks, and knew she was extremely weak. She tried to pull herself off the ground, but her muscles wouldn't cooperate.

"Take the Crystal out now," she panted. "You need to pull it out!"

"No!" Cyros shouted. "It could damage your interface permanently! We have to turn back!"

Tecna glared at him. "I'm not turning back," she snapped. "I will _never _turn my back on my people! We have to" –

BOOM.

Tecna recoiled back in horror. Cyros stared around wildly, gasping. "What was _that_?" he cried.

"I don't know!" Tecna answered frantically. "But whatever it is, it isn't good. We need to get to the Infinity Room, and fast!" She tried to pull herself up again, but it was no use.

"Here!" An orange platform appeared underneath her. Cyros lifted it in the air, and she lay atop the plank, staring at him.

"You're gonna be okay," he breathed. "Now let's go. We need to get you to the Infinity Room, and we need to get there _now_!"

"Okay," Tecna breathed as the platform lifted into the air. They shot out through a window, heading to the north wing of the palace. The dark night sky glinted coldly above her as they sailed towards a square-like wing.

Unlike the rest of the palace, it looked very, very ancient. If she looked closely, she thought she could make out a circular formation within its walls; at four points, the circle kissed the edge of the square. "_That's _the Infinity Room?" she asked in disbelief, turning towards Cyros.

"That's it," Cyros answered. "It used to be a place where convicts were trapped, forced to suffer the rest of their lives in madness. The mirrors inside of it reflect magical reality, forcing people to believe it's an infinite room, when it's actually a circle. They're doomed to wander aimlessly around – well, until they die of starvation, of course."

"Morbid," Tecna shuddered. "I don't recommend you bring back that practice when you become king."

"Yeah," Cyros said, and for a moment, an uncomfortable expression registered across his face, as if he hadn't gotten used to the idea of being king yet. "I guess not."

Suddenly, a frigid blast of air froze them both at their core. A fierce gust of wind nearly knocked Tecna off her platform. Letting out a gasp, she stared upwards, her eyes wide.

A massive, black cloud was in the sky. A clap of thunder boomed, louder than she'd ever heard it before. She knew that, within its depths, snow was falling to the ground.

"Oh no," Cyros whispered. "It's already begun."

* * *

Bloom flew down the Infinity Room, staring around the walls. _There's gotta be some kind of escape here… _As soon as she reached the end of the hall, they would be out.

There was just one problem: it didn't appear that there _was _an end to the hall.

"I think we're going the wrong way," Lockette said.

"What do you mean?" Bloom whipped her head towards her bonded pixie as she continued to fly down. "There _is _only one way! Either we go this way, or we go back towards the robot battle!"

"The Zenithians were excellent with magical reality," Lockette said. "There might be some kind of time-continuum here that makes this stretch on forever."

"Impossible." Bloom knew that there was no such thing as infinite space; Wizkiz had taught them that. _There has to be _some _way out of here. _But the dazzling mirrors confused her, and she groaned in frustration.

"I just don't know how to get out of here!" she shouted, finally coming to a stop. "There's no way to escape!"

"Wait – do you hear that?" Lockette asked in confusion.

Bloom looked up. The sound of battle echoed through the walls, metal clanking against metal and laser-swords piercing the air. She even thought she could hear Layla's yell. _Why is this happening? _How were her friends right in front of her, when she'd just flown away from them? It was impossible.

Unless…

"The Infinity Room isn't a hall," Lockette breathed. "It's a circle."

"But we weren't flying in a circle!" Bloom pointed out. "That doesn't make sense!"

"There's something about the illusion of the mirrors," Lockette said. "They make us think we're moving in a straight line, when in reality, we're actually going around in circles." She turned towards the side. "I think I know our way out of here."

"What?" Bloom asked urgently. "What is it?"

Lockette smiled. "Look at the mirrors."

Bloom stared at them. They shined with the intensity of a thousand suns, blinding her with their intensity. Well, _almost _all of them…

One of the mirrors was dull. As Bloom flew closer, she realized that it wasn't a mirror, but actually a _window_. A window to the outside world.

Bloom didn't need any further prompting. "Let's go!" she shouted, melting the glass with her fire. The two of them flew out, staring at what they saw before them.

They were in a forest. Snow covered the boughs, and she stared in astonishment at how beautiful they were. But that beauty was marred by a soot trail, and she had no doubt who had created it.

_For a supervillain dating many centuries, he's not good at covering his trail. _Actually, that wasn't true – in all the months she'd known him, he'd been very good at covering his trail. No, Valtor was slipping. And now was the time to end him.

"This is it," Bloom whispered to Lockette. "I'm going to go and find him."

"I'll stay back here and keep watch," Lockette squeaked. Bloom nodded, flying down the path towards the foe she had to confront.

* * *

"Hrahh!" Mirta attacked a robot, sending her spell at its neck.

But the spell simply bounced off the mirror, hitting Mirta in the gut. She yelled as she doubled over, Flora by her side.

"Are you okay?" she shouted.

"Yes," Mirta glared at the mirror. "Stupid illusions. You'd think that, as the fairy of illusions, I wouldn't fall for these."

"But you are a fairy of the night!" Flora couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it before. "Do you think you could dim the light on those mirrors?"

"That's a great idea!" Mirta focused her powers, dimming the light on the mirrors. Now the only glow they could see was from their fairy-outfits and the robots' blazers. "Now we're on equal footing!"

"Let's go!" Stella drew power from the remaining light of the mirrors, blasting a robot that Layla had tied with her Morphix. Combining her powers with Tune's, Musa sent a sonic blast through the air, one which sent all the robots on their feet. Unfortunately, it also knocked Flora, Stella, Musa, and Layla off of theirs, too.

The four girls fell backwards; immediately, a robot picked them up like rag dolls. Before Flora even had time to scream, it threw them at the wall, straight at a mirror. Flora closed her eyes, ready for the bruising impact of hitting the wall.

It never came. Instead, Flora gasped as she felt herself free-falling. Cold air battered her skin, and the shock of it filled her.

_We're outside the Infinity Room… _She heard the Specialists' shouts, and knew there was nothing they could do to help. She tried catching the air with her wings, but the air-resistance was too strong. _I'm not going to let us die! _Focusing her energy on the ground, she let out a shot. "Enchanted ivy!"

Magivines grew out of the ground, catching the fairies just before they hit the ground. They let out a gasp of relief.

"Thanks, Flora!" gasped Stella. "I thought we were toast!"

"No problem," Flora answered grimly, while Layla added, "Since we're out here, let's go and find Bloom!"

"We need to help her," Musa agreed. Activating their speed-wings, the fairies flew out towards the woods, ready to defeat Valtor for once and for all.

* * *

Bloom ran down the soot-trail. Ahead she could hear Valtor's groans and pants, the crunch of his feet against the snow. She called out to her foe.

"Valtor, give up!" she shouted. "The Water Stars have weakened you, and you're in no condition to fight. It's over!"

From ahead she heard Valtor's hiss. "_Never_." And then, a deadly blow of flame shot towards her.

Bloom gasped, dodging the blow. She scrambled to her feet, staring as Valtor emerged from the forest. His eyes narrowed in fury, he held a dark flame in his hands and pointed it straight at her.

"You may be right," he agreed, "but the question is, who's going to be the loser?" He shot the flame towards her. "_You _are."

Bloom gasped as the fire coiled around her, forming a snake around her body. It bound her legs and arms to her middle, and she hissed in pain as the flames burned her flesh. "No!" she shouted, trying to break free from the fire.

She could hear Valtor's maniacal laugh as she struggled against his dark fire, knowing that he was still too strong. At any moment, the fire would squeeze the life out of her. Against this kind of force, she was powerless.

Then suddenly, another loud blast filled the air. A purple blast of energy whizzed straight past Valtor, the size of an enormous cannonball. It destroyed a row of trees behind him, and he gasped in horror. "W-what?"

The spell broke on Bloom, and she fell to the ground. _What's that? _She turned her neck. Her eyes went wide as she stared at what was in front of her.

The glass cannon stared straight into her face, threatening to strike her and Valtor at any moment. Inside the glass was a sickly-purple liquid, which she knew had tremendous power. _A superweapon… _Vasiliev was perched atop the machine, his eyes glimmering.

"_Now_ it's over."

* * *

Tecna lay facedown on the plank, her energy circuiting. She felt as if every part of her body was weakened, as if every part of her wiring had fallen to dark forces. If it wasn't for the adrenaline that coursed through her veins, she knew she'd be zonked out.

"We're almost there," Cyros whispered. "Almost there. You'll be okay, _Sestra_."

Tecna winced. In addition to her general numbness and lack of energy, the cold was zapping all resolve from her. It was far colder than it'd been back in the palace, and she stared upwards, scanning the air.

TEMPERATURE 40 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. BLACK STORM-CLOUDS 10 KM DUE EAST, TRAVELLING AT 200 KPH. INDOOR ACTIVITIES RECOMMENDED.

"No wonder it's so cold," Tecna whispered. If it wasn't for the magic that swarmed around her transformation, she knew she'd be frozen. "We need to get into the Infinity Room _now_. Those storm-clouds will be above our heads any second!"

"Got it," Cyros answered. "So" –

Another blast shot through the air. Tecna gasped in alarm, reeling from the noise.

"What was _that_?" Cyros gasped, staring in front of them.

Tecna stared. A gigantic glass cannon was in the distance, mounted atop a machine. _That cannon-tube looks exactly like the test-tubes back in the laboratory… _It hit her exactly what was going on.

"_Vasiliev_ is here!" she breathed. "He's trying to kill Valtor with this cannon!"

"How dangerous is it?" Cyros asked nervously.

"Let me check!" Tecna answered, scanning the weapon frantically.

GLASS CANNON. 100 METERS LONG, HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE LINPHEAN-VINE ENERGY INSIDE. HAS CAPACITY TO DESTROY A 50-KILOMETER RADIUS AREA. She let out a gasp as soon as she saw the words across her screen.

"We have to destroy that weapon!" she shouted at Cyros. "That thing has the power to wipe out the entire royal palace, Kremniy, _and _all the surrounding area!"

"What are we going to do?" Cyros asked frantically. "We need to go!" He tried flying forward, but Tecna suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Look ahead," she shouted.

A group of fairies, whom she knew so well, were flying towards the cannon. She stared as she saw Flora, Stella, Musa, and Layla, flying towards the machine. She let out a gasp.

Cyros stared at the four fairies and let out a gasp. "What's going on?"

"Give me an energy-boost," Tecna answered. "I'm going to stop Vasiliev."

"But the Crystal!" Cyros cried.

"If we don't go after him, there won't _be _any Zenith to save, Crystal or no Crystal!" Tecna insisted. "Let's go!" Cyros nodded, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She felt orange electricity course through her, filling her with renewed strength. She pulled herself into the air, flying forward, determined to show no mercy this time.

* * *

Vasiliev pointed the weapon straight at Bloom and Valtor. A lump of terror and fear coursed through Bloom's veins as she stared at him, knowing that this was the end.

"And so ends the last two people with the power of the Dragon Flame," he laughed. "With you gone, I shall take control back of my plague, and rule Zenith again!" He placed his hand on the trigger –

"Nature's storm!" someone shouted. A storm of snow and twigs hit Vasiliev, almost making him fall over the side of the machine; he stopped just in time. _Is that… Flora? _He stared up in desperation as the girls surrounded him, attack-spells at the ready.

Bloom stared at her friends in relief. _I'm so glad they're here… _Grinning at them, she sent them a thumbs' up, to which Stella shouted, "We've got your back, Bloom!"

Bloom turned towards Valtor – but unfortunately, she was a second too late. She screamed as she was hit with a bolt of fire, falling straight to the ground. Valtor stood above her; she could hear the smile in his expression. "Goodbye, Bloom." He shot a killing blast of fire at her.

But Bloom was prepared. She flew upwards and shot her own fire at him, snaking it around him. Now Valtor was on the defensive as he struggled against her binds, trying to fight her fire-snake.

"Dragon Fury!" called Bloom, and a fierce dragon loomed towards Valtor. It stopped short of killing him, guarding him like a prison-warden would guard an inmate. She walked up to him, placing her left hand on his forehead and her right hand on his heart.

"What are you doing?" Valtor demanded.

Bloom didn't answer. There was a spell she'd learned on Pyros, but it would require the utmost attention and power. She took in a deep breath.

"This is it, Valtor," she said solemnly. "This is the end." She focused on her powers, feeling the flame within.

She could sense Valtor's flame within himself, a brilliant fire tempered by the darkness of his deeds. Connecting her flame with his, she felt his very essence within her, and likewise, knew he felt hers.

_We've connected_, she thought. _It's time for me to end this –_

Then she gasped as she felt Valtor's fire burn, clashing into her own power. Now she was on the defensive, trying to resist against his energy.

_This is it. _The Great Battle of the Flame had begun now, and there was no turning back. Resisting as much as she could, she sent her inner-flame into him, trying to repel his might.

* * *

"Call of Nature!" Flora shouted, focusing her energy on the trees.

She could feel them responding; although they couldn't detach from their roots and move like Linphean trees, they could listen to her commands. A branch reached forward and stopped the machine in its tracks. Vasiliev let out a howl.

"Dirty Linphean," he shouted. "You dare hold this kind of power over me?"

"Oh yes, I dare," Flora snarled, rage like she'd never felt before building up in her. _This man killed my best friend. _Now she knew the meaning of revenge, the intensity of anger. Her friends joined hands with her, combining their powers. "We're going to end your reign for once and for all, so you can never hurt anyone again!" She focused her energy. "Force of nature!"

"Lunar flare!"

"Plasma attack!"

"Sonar destruction!"

"No!" Vasiliev shouted, and another rocket shot towards the bolt of energy. It accumulated the energy of their convergence, shooting Musa out of the sky. The girl yelled as she was hit backwards, falling straight to the ground.

"No!" Layla shouted. "Musa! We can't" –

Another blast of energy hit Flora squarely in the chest. The three remaining girls were blasted out of the air, crying out as they hit the ground. Flora's back ached, and she stared upwards. It was then she noticed something she hadn't seen before.

The temperature had dropped about twenty degrees. The chill was painful, even for Zenithian standards, and she let out a cry. And that wasn't all.

Above them was a huge, black cloud.

"What's g-g-goin' on?" Musa's teeth chattered.

Then snow fell. More like ice than actual snow, it barreled towards them, in huge chunks. Flora let out a scream as one fell directly towards her head.

"Snow-shield!" Layla shouted, lifting the snow off the ground and creating a canopy above their heads. The ice hit the snow, and Flora winced. "Are you okay?"

"You won't be for long!" Vasiliev cackled, pointing his cannon straight at them. "Say goodbye to the world as you know it!"

Flora struggled as she pulled herself up, staring into the cannon's face. It gleamed furiously. Vasiliev placed his hands on the lever, ready to pull it back.

And just as suddenly, he was knocked back. Grabbing onto the edge of the machine, he let out a shout. An orange spell slapped him, and he stared up in horror. Following his gaze, Flora let out a gasp.

A purple-clad fairy was flying towards Vasiliev, her long magenta hair flowing down her back like that of a warrior princess. An orange aura shined around every part of her body. Her purple-and-lime minivest and short-shorts gleamed against the night, and her wings looked as if they were that of an angel's. She flew straight at Vasiliev, lifting a spell in her hands.

"You" – Vasiliev gasped, utter outrage in his tone.

The fairy didn't answer. Instead, she blasted him which several jets, all of which he dodged. The girls gasped in astonishment.

"Who is she?"

"She's so _powerful_!"

"Amazing!"

Flora stared upwards. There was something about the fairy that was familiar, something she couldn't put her finger on. Something in the way she moved, the spells she wielded, and the fierceness she possessed. She tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but her back was turned to Flora, and all she could make out was her wings.

"We can't just stand here," she whispered. "We have to help her!" She lifted her hands in the air, trying to communicate with the trees.

Nothing happened. She stared, aghast, and turned around to her friends, each of whom had horrified expressions on their faces.

"The cold," Layla whispered. "It's draining all our powers! We can't _do_ anything!"

Flora had never felt so cold before. Letting out a cry, she dropped to the ground, only able to stare helplessly at the battle ahead.

"What's going on?" The Specialists, Mirta, Nabu, and the Pixies had arrived. They stared in astonishment at the battle, orange and purple streaks lighting up the night-sky.

"Who _is _that?" Mirta breathed.

Digit, however, was staring at the fairy's back with a shocked expression on her face. She turned towards them, whispering, "I think that's" –

BOOM. A thunder-cloud clapped violently above them. The snow beat down harder, now attacking them where they stood. "Take cover!" Sky shouted, pointing towards the trees.

Flora ran along with the other girls, her energy weakening. Turning back towards the battle, she let out a gasp as soon as she saw what was going on.

The purple fairy was losing energy fast. Her magic was waning, and she was losing breath quickly. The aura was too waning. Thunder and lightning sounded in the distance, brightening the sky.

And then, a lightning-strike zapped the fairy directly in the back.

"No!" Flora cried. The purple fairy fell to the ground, hitting the harsh ice-snow. The aura completely disappeared, and she closed her eyes.

Vasiliev let out a maniacal laugh, one that filled the entire grounds. Flora's blood turned cold.

"This is the end," he laughed. He pointed his cannon at her, directly to strike.

* * *

Bloom resisted against Valtor's fire, but could feel it beating on her own flame. _My flame can't go out… _She winced as memory upon memory shot through her mind.

She saw her own struggles flash before her. Her insecurities during freshman year, and how easily she'd fallen prey to Avalon's lies. How she'd failed to keep the girls together during senior year, and had let them lose Tecna. And worst of all, how she'd let Icy take her Dragon Fire away from her. She could still feel the loss of her fire within her heart.

And then she remembered Daphne's words, that day at the bottom of Lake Roccaluce: _"Your powers aren't gone."_

_ "What do you mean?" Bloom asked. "Icy took away my powers!"_

_"Think back to your childhood, Bloom," Daphne answered. "Remember how it was, growing up."_

A cruel smile appeared on Valtor's face as he pushed his fire forward – a dark, fierce power with no limits on its negativity. White-hot pain coursed through Bloom's limbs as the fire burned forward. She tried resisting, but knew his power was too strong. Sooner or later, he was going to take her fire away, and with it, her life.

_ "You were brought up on Earth by two loving parents," Daphne continued. "They loved you enough to protect you, and understood you enough to let you go when the time was right."_

_ "And I let them down," Bloom answered sadly, staring at the ground. "I let Alfea down, too. My friends are out there, fighting the Trix, and my powers are all gone. I don't belong anywhere."_

_ "Bloom," said Daphne, "don't you understand? Who you are hasn't changed. You still are the same person you were ten months ago, when your fifteenth birthday rolled around and changed everything."_

_ "But who _am _I?" Bloom asked. "Earth girl or princess of Domino?"_

_ "We are the sum total of all our experiences," Daphne answered. "The friends we make, the values we believe in, the actions we take, that all determines who we are. Ordinary Earth girl and heir to the kingdom of Domino, that's who you are. Daughter of Mike and Vanessa and wielder of the Dragon Fire, that's who you are. And that can never be taken away from you. What's inside you can never be taken away from you. Others cannot determine your life's path for you; only you can decide that for yourself."_

Valtor's fire was winning. His flame was engulfing hers, growing monstrously in size, and wearing hers down. Her very life's energy was beginning to cease. This was it, this was the end…

_ "So then… what _happened _to me that day on Earth?" Bloom asked._

_ Daphne smiled knowingly. "Nothing that doesn't happen to all of us. You had doubts, and you were afraid. You truly believed that what you loved could be taken away from you. But the truth is, no one in the whole universe could steal your history, your dreams, or even your magical-powers. They belong to your spirit, and you alone. They are yours to keep forever. Bloom." She faced the girl, who was staring at her, openmouthed. "To recover the flame, look deep within your heart." She disappeared, leaving Bloom calling after her._

Valtor's fire had all but taken over Bloom's. A numbing sensation washed over her, bringing with it the cruel release of death. Only a single speck of her own flame remained.

_Bloom walked on the lake's floor, deep in thought. "Who I am," she mused to herself. "What's inside of me? What's in my heart?"_

_ As she spoke, she felt something flicker within her. The tiniest spark ignited, its warmth touching her like that of a flame. She swallowed and gazed up to the lake's surface, towards the light._

_ "I am Bloom," she said out loud. "I am a member of the Winx, daughter of Mike and Vanessa, and friend to Sky. I am the heir to Domino's throne and the keeper of the Dragon Flame." She opened her eyes. "And no one will take that away from me!"_

_ She felt her flame reignite, burning with the heat of a thousand comets. Zooming up towards the surface of the lake, she broke out into the air, her Winx transformation complete again. A dragon formed around her, healing her entire essence to the core._

And now Bloom felt her energy re-collect, heating her heart. She could still feel Valtor's flame, burning and controlling. And this time, she knew exactly how to beat it.

_I _believe _in myself_, she thought. _I'm going to win my power back, the same way I won it back on Pyros. I believe in all of my accomplishments, my friends, and my strength. And I _won't _let Valtor destroy me!_

Her fire zoomed out, engulfing Valtor's inner flame with its power. Valtor yelled out in pain as warm, radiant fire swarmed over his own power-source, destroying all the darkness inside. She directed her energy into it, taking away the cruelty.

_Cease your energy_, she thought. _Take away his source, so he can destroy no more!_

Valtor yelled as his fire flickered, the warmth of Bloom's energy taking over. And then he was no more.

* * *

Tecna winced as she lay on the ground. Cyros stared down at her, swooping towards her.

"_Sestra_!" he yelled.

But a shard of ice fell, directly knocking Cyros down. Behind her, she heard the girls running towards her, shouting out in fear.

"No!" Vasiliev shouted. Grabbing four gigantic hailstones from the air, he threw it at them. The girls screamed as they were knocked down, hitting the ground.

_Those aren't ordinary hailstones_, Tecna realized in horror. They had the power to halt the magical energy of whomever they came in contact with, and temporarily immobilize them as well. Vasiliev smiled, glaring down at Tecna.

"I told you I would destroy you," he snarled. "Now has come my chance. It is time for you to end, as you should've ended long ago!" He pointed the cannon directly at her.

Tecna couldn't move. She gasped as the light within the cannon swirled, the purple light gleaming within. It blazed furiously, the sickly purple energy within.

And then it shot out towards Tecna.

Tecna stared in horrified fascination as the energy sailed towards her. Time seemed to stand in slow-motion. She felt the energy engulf her, ready to kill her down where she stood –

"No!" a voice shouted. She stared up, aghast, as the flow of the cannon stopped in midair, hitting something. Or rather, _someone_. Opening her eyes, she let out a gasp.

Timmy was standing in front of her, his orange hair flowing down his head. His Resistance uniform gleamed crisp against his shoulders. A mirror was in his hands, redirecting the cannonfire. He turned his head towards her, and she let out a gasp.

His face was more rugged than she'd ever seen it before. His glasses were irreparably broken, and his eyes were filled with hardness and pain. Nonetheless, the expression on his face was undyingly loyal, determined, and courageous, almost to the point where it broke Tecna's heart.

"I've found you, and I'm not leaving you!" he shouted. "Do you hear me, Tec? I'm never going to leave you again!" Turning his mirror towards Vasiliev, he shoved forward, using all his energy to send the cannonfire back.

Vasiliev bellowed in rage as the force of the cannon's jet shot towards him. Leaping out of the way just in time, he shouted, "You foolish boy" –

"I dare, Vasiliev!" Timmy shouted back. "Tecna will never have to fear you or your abuse ever again! This is what you get, for all of your wrongs!" He turned the mirror straight on Vasiliev.

Vasiliev shouted in pain as the killing blast shot straight through his heart, knocking him down. The light died out of his eyes, and he lay on the grass, completely motionless. The cannon fell off the machine.

And then Timmy fell.

"No!" Tecna cried. With the last of her energy, she ran towards him, tears in her eyes. Turning his body around, she stared into his eyes.

His eyes were half-closed. Forcing them open, he stared up at her, his expression sorrowful. "Tecna"… he whispered.

"You can't be gone!" she cried. "You can't be, Timmy! You can't be gone!"

"Tecna?" a voice whispered. Tecna turned around and saw Flora running up to her, followed by the other girls, Digit, the Pixies, and the Specialists. She placed her hands on her shoulders, staring at her in disbelief.

Tecna couldn't even answer. A fierce glow overtook her, and she collapsed to the ground, letting out a cry. A faint white glow shined from her chest, and she stared down, realizing what was happening.

The Crystal was dying.

Flora stared down at Tecna. A grim expression was across her face, and something like realization passed through her eyes. She grabbed Tecna's hands.

"Here," she whispered. A green aura shined around her body, one that Tecna knew so well. Calling on the essence of the trees, she reached deep into Tecna's heart.

Tecna let out a gasp as the Crystal shoved against the inside of her heart, resisting Flora's pull. Her own essence was pulling the Crystal back, for it had become a part of her. There was no telling what would happen if the Crystal was pulled out of her.

_But I have to trust her. _She had to believe Flora knew what she was doing. Letting out a sigh, she leaned upwards, allowing Flora to pull the Crystal out.

The Crystal soared out of her chest. A white, starlike shape, it floated into the air, covered in green light. Tecna let out a gasp, clutching her heart.

"Tecna!" Flora was at her side. "Are you okay?"

"I – don't – know" – Tecna wheezed. Her breath seemed to be stalling, and she let out a gasp. _My lungs – they're no longer functioning! _Falling to the ground, she lay still, her breath slowing down and down.

* * *

Bloom rose from the ground, feeling unsteady. _I did it… I defeated Valtor… _She gazed at him, lying motionless on the ground.

"Girls, Specialists," she called. "Let's get out of here. We need to bring Valtor's body back" – She lifted her eyes, and let out a cry of horror.

The cannon was pointed towards the city, attacking everything and everyone. A horrific purple jet of energy burst out of it. People were screaming, running out of the way as the cannon's energy moved relentlessly into the city, showing no mercy to anyone. The Pixies let out a scream.

"We need to get the civilians to safety!" Sky shouted. The Specialists ran instantly to the city, trying to save the people of Kremniy.

The cannon had gone out-of-control. The machine went haywire, shooting streaks of electricity everywhere. The snow, combined with the unnatural thunder and lightning, had caused it to malfunction, shooting deadly rays of energy everywhere.

"Stop it!" Bloom shouted. "Turn it off!"

But it was no use. The cannon began turning its head towards where her friends were, scorching the earth next to them. The girls and the pixies screamed as the cannon turned its energy towards them, purple light immobilizing them to the ground.

In that moment, Bloom knew what she had to do. She ran in front of them, harnessing all the power within her blocking the flow of the cannon's energy. _Come on, come on… _Sooner or later, she knew the energy would give out, and that she would lose her control over the cannon's force.

Focusing all of her internal energy inside, she summoned the full extent of the Dragon's Fire, using the ancient power to break through the energy of the cannon. She felt its destructive energy breaking through her strong stance, threatening to destroy her along with the rest of the planet.

_But the Dragon Fire is here to heal. I will not let this planet be destroyed. _Feeling the energy rise within her, she felt its energy heat her from top-to-bottom. _I will end the cannon's power!_

A red aura formed around her, and her fire hit the cannon, destroying it in one shot. A Dragon soared out of her heart and enveloped the energy of the cannon, shooting out towards the Infinity Room.

The Dragon circled the Infinity Room, connecting with the power of Zenith. A white crystal lifted into the air and illuminated with power, sending sparks everywhere. And then, a boom sounded from deep within the Infinity Room, and sparks shot out into the sky.

She didn't know what the boom was. The force of her own power shot her back, blasting her deep into the forest. The last thing she heard was a blast of fire as her vision went black.

* * *

Flora watched in disbelief as the Dragon Fire encircled the Infinity Room, sending a powerful healing-energy through the forest. A ripple shot from the Dragon, and she screamed as she was blasted off of her feet.

She heard the others' gasps of astonishment as the Fire connected with the source of Zenith's energy, located deep within the Infinity Room. _Of course, the source of Zenith's power is within the Infinity Room… _It seemed so obvious now. The Dragon slammed straight into the Infinity Room, letting out a colossal boom.

And then the world shook as a brilliant white light shot out of the center of the complex.

Flora watched in astonishment as a powerful healing energy shot over the skies, filling the world with beauty. From the Crystal, healing raindrops poured down on Tecna and Timmy, filling them with energy. Wincing, the two of them awoke, staring at each other. Timmy let out a whoop.

"You're alive!" he shouted, grabbing Tecna in a hug. "_We're _alive!"

Flora stared around. The trees, which had been beaten down by the cannon, were now restored to their former glory, with shining chestnut bark and beautiful currents of energy. The people of the city looked up in astonishment as the energy shot through the entire land, thawing the snow and revealing grass, _orange _grass, for the first time in a thousand years. The sky changed shades, no longer its morose gray – instead, it was a stunning, beautiful turquoise.

"I don't believe it," the orange-clad fairy breathed, looking near tears. "Zenith looks exactly as it used to be!"

The energy filled the air, healing all the Zenithian people. They gasped as they stared at the landscape, at the crocuses that rose from the ground, electric colors such as neon green and blue and pink. Flora gasped as she felt the goodness of Zenith's natural energy filling her from top-to-bottom.

"It's _beautiful_," Tecna whispered. "Zenith is entering a new era."

"It is," Flora agreed, holding her friend's hand as she stared into her eyes. "And we couldn't have done it without you." And she knew it was true. Without Tecna's technological power, none of this would've happened.

Tecna smiled. "Want to finish the job?"

"Yes," Flora declared. She linked hands with Tecna, feeling the power within her as she connected with every breath of her friend's essence.

She could feel the energy of all the Zenithian wildlife, the trees, and the nature. And, through Tecna, she could feel the energy of the technology all around her. Every breath of electrical, metallic, and digital power soared through her body.

She could feel Tecna, too, more clearly than she ever had before. She could feel the pain she had gone through, both before and after the Omega Portal. Yet, her spirit was undeniably resolute at the end of it all. Although many had tried to put her in her place, dismissing her prowess and stripping her of her emotions, her courage and humanity had won out after all. Green-and-orange energy sizzled, a comet of energy over the city.

The arc of colors soared through Kremniy, reversing all the damage the weapon had done on the façades of the buildings. The people of Zenith cried out in happiness as their city was restored, healed completely after a long, endless war. Flora and Tecna released their energy into the air, and held hands, gazing forever into each other's eyes.

_It's over. _She knew that, after a millennium of dictatorship and turmoil, a new dawn had come.

* * *

**End of Part II.**


	50. Epilogue: Turquoise Skies and Rainbows

**Hello, guys! I'm back again with the finale! I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

EPILOGUE: TURQUOISE SKIES AND RAINBOWS

Bloom opened her eyes. Flames surrounded her everywhere, the heat warming her to her core. Unlike Valtor's fire, or even the fire she'd used in battle, these flames were like that of a hearth, soothing and undulating. Within the flames, she thought she could see her own reflection staring back at her – confused, with a lot of questions – and so much older and wiser she had been than before. The sum-total of all the changes that had happened in her life since that fateful day, three years ago.

She thought she heard a gentle laugh within the fire. _"My dear sister, you have done well. Now awaken, for you have one last duty before the great test of Fate unfolds." _Then the flames disappeared, and she opened her eyes, staring at the landscape before her.

She was in a field of flowers. Neon-orange grass complimented the turquoise sky perfectly, the colors of Zenith bright and true. Crocuses crept out of the ground, in every shade Bloom could possibly imagine – pink, red, green, amethyst, jade, golden, and sapphire. A gentle, warming breeze brushed past her bare shoulders.

"Where's Bloom?" she heard a shout – Sky's voice. "What happened to her?"

"Well, don't just stand here!" Stella shouted. "We need to find her!"

"I'm here!" Bloom shouted. She flew out of the trees, towards the castle.

She landed outside of the Infinity Room. The girls and the Specialists ran up to her, letting out a gasp of amazement. "Bloom!" yelled Musa.

"You're okay!" Stella shouted. "I'm so happy you're okay!" Sky grabbed her in a hug, lifting her upwards and twirling her into the sky.

"What happened?" she breathed, confused.

"You restored Zenith's natural habitat." An orange-clad fairy stood before them, his smile wide. He was holding the white crystal in his hands, which sparkled with blue and orange energy. "Thank you so much." He bowed to her deeply.

"Um – thanks," Bloom said in confusion, staring at the boy. Sky put her down, and then turned towards the Specialists, Mirta, and Nabu.

"We need to radio Faragonda immediately," he said. "We'll give you guys some time to catch up." He headed out of the forest, back to the castle.

Immediately, Stella, Flora, Layla, and Musa ran towards Bloom. "Group hug!" they shouted, startling Bloom as she was squashed by her friends. "Ow!" she yelled.

"I think you're forgetting someone," a voice in front of her called.

The others backed away. Bloom craned her neck, turning towards the owner of the voice. She let out a gasp.

"Tecna" – she whispered, tears falling from her eyes.

Her friend looked better than she'd ever seen her in real life. Her hair was longer than she'd seen it before, her previously-thin face looked healthy and full. No black circles adorned her eyes, and her Enchantix outfit was beautiful. But it was her eyes that captivated Bloom the most. They were a sparkling, optimistic electric-blue, the same color as Zenith's sky.

"I don't believe it," Bloom gasped. She grabbed Tecna tight, squeezing her as if she'd never let go. The girls all hugged together, tears in each and every one of their eyes.

"So," Stella said, when they all pulled back, "I have only one question." She shot daggers at Tecna with her eyes, making them all jump back. "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?"

Tecna grinned, true happiness in her face. "I'll happily explain everything on the way back to Alfea"…

* * *

Flora couldn't believe it. Tecna had told them her story, and still, she couldn't believe it.

She leaned heavily against the chair, holding her friend's hand tightly. There was a silence, and then Musa was the first to speak.

"All of this happened to you," she whispered. "And yet you're still alive. I can't believe it."

"They called me Anastasia the Resurrected now," Tecna said, smiling. "Cyros has considered making me a cabinet-member once he gets the nation up and running."

Flora carefully watched her friend's face. She could tell something was off. Her smile was a little too wide, and her eyes were a little too bright.

"There's one thing I don't understand," she said; the others turned towards her. "You had the disease for an entire month. How _did_ you survive?"

Tecna was silent for a moment. The smile disappeared from her mouth, and she stared at the ground.

"I don't know," she confessed. "Why is it that Fate chose me to survive, but not others? So many have died as a result of the plague. How is it that I managed to survive?" Letting out a sigh, she turned towards Flora.

"I have a question for _you_," she said. "How did _you _know that the Crystal of Zenith was inside of me?"

Flora frowned. "I did a bit of hacking," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" Tecna asked in confusion.

"Your computer," Flora answered. "One day in Novemensis, I went back to your place on Zenith, and I found your computer. And then I, well, I snatched it from Vasiliev's grasp."

"You did _what_?" Tecna gasped in shock.

"I hacked into it," Flora answered. "Digit and I, we worked so hard, but were unable to program around the locks. But then – I discovered" – She told Tecna about how she'd used her plant to hack into the computer. As soon as she finished, Tecna burst into laughter.

"I can't believe you used a _plant _to hack into my computer!" she cried. "I guess I was wrong when I said nature didn't work well with technology. That's hilarious!"

"It worked," Flora said, smiling. "And we have you back now."

"Indeed," a voice said near them. Avalon was walking up to them, a smile on his face. "What you did was incredible."

"Thanks," Tecna said, smiling up at him. Flora had never seen her friend ever smile at Avalon – or even so much as _look _at him, for that matter. "By the way, I kinda owe you an" –

"That's quite all right," Avalon responded. "I'm just glad to have you back, Tecna." He headed back to the dashboard.

"We're almost at Alfea," Palladium said. "President Narayanan will want to debrief you all, as well as the Specialists, when they arrive."

Flora frowned. After the events of the battle, the Specialists, Mirta, Timmy, and Nabu had decided to remain back and make sure everything was okay with the people of Zenith. They would arrive in Magix much later than the other girls.

Flora looked down. They had approached Magix City, and were flying directly to Alfea. She gazed down, a pang in her heart.

The campus was exactly the same way as they'd left it. Very few students milled around; the few who did wore masks. She grabbed one from the cabinet, as did the other girls. Faragonda was waiting for them on-campus.

"Inside," she said. The girls headed onto the campus.

Flora was about to follow them, but stopped as soon as she realized Tecna was missing. Turning around, she saw her friend sitting on the floor, her eyes on the ground. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know how we're going to solve this," Tecna whispered. "It could take many years – _decades _even. Taking down Valtor was one thing – but an entire disease? This will have so many ramifications to come" –

Flora put her hand over Tecna's mouth, shutting her up.

"I won't allow you to place the blame on yourself," she said. "You've done so much in the past months. Without you – well, I don't know what we would've done against Vasiliev."

"But I helped create the disease!" Tecna cried. "If it wasn't for me, none of this would've happened in the first place!"

"Tecna," Flora whispered, "Even when we all thought you were dead, you defied all odds and stayed alive. You've done so much for us, which we can never repay you for. Now let us do something for you." She squeezed her friend's hand. "I promise you, we _will _figure something out today."

"Guys, come on!" Musa shouted after them. They headed out, joining their friends to Faragonda's office.

All three headmasters of the UR Defense Schools were there. The girls stopped, gazing up at their faces. Griffin was the first to speak.

"Valtor is gone," she said, "and the entire Magical Dimension can rest easy. However, the fate of Magix still concerns us all."

Tecna swallowed. "How are the numbers?" she asked.

"High," Saladin answered. He still seemed quite shocked to see her there; clearly, he hadn't fully recovered from the news. "Very high."

"He's right," a voice called behind them. President Chandra Narayanan of Magix walked into the room, flanked by Light Rock guards. "Every day, there are hundreds of deaths."

"Is Brandon" – Stella whispered, tears in her eyes.

"No," Saladin answered gently. "Don't worry. He's being taken care of."

"I know you have been through a lot," Faragonda said, "but I need to ask: is there anything you found that could possibly stop the spread of the disease? Anything at all?"

The girls shook their heads. Flora wished they had found something, _anything_, that could've helped, but it was impossible. There was nothing they could've possibly done.

"What about the laptop?" Musa asked. "Ya didn't forget about that, did ya?"

The president looked nervously at Faragonda, who nodded. "You can share the information with my girls." He turned towards them.

"The laptop does hold a genome sequence," he said, "which analysts are using to try and create a vaccine. However, the research will take months."

"Magix doesn't _have_ months," Flora breathed.

"What're we going to do?" Layla demanded. "We have to do _something_! We have to stop this disease from" –

"Princess of Andros, there is no easy solution for this matter," President Narayanan answered. "I have often found, as a politician, that there is usually never an easy solution." He let out a sigh. "The only thing we can do is form policy as best as we can, around these" –

"There's a way!"

Everyone jumped as the Specialists ran into the room. Timmy was at the front, looking agitated. He had a device in his hands.

"Timmy," Tecna gasped, "what're you doing?"

"I was in the circular chamber, and I came across this," he answered. "I saw this bubbling chalice of some kind of liquid. At first, I didn't know what it was, but then when Vasiliev cornered me, he let slip that it was a kind of antidote for a virus. As soon as you guys left, we went and recovered it from the lab." He pointed to a chalice, which Mirta and Nabu had stabilized using their magic, careful not to let a single drop of precious liquid fall.

"How do you know what it is?" demanded Griffin. "How do you know it's the antidote?"

"It _is_ the antidote," Avalon said slowly, "because it is infused with the essence of _flores de iris_. I know this because I have used that plant to help reinforce the magical barrier. Throughout this time at Alfea, many of the students here have gotten sick from colds or other illnesses, but never from _respiratoriorum typhoonis_. That makes me believe that this is the way to go."

"There have been many clinical trials for potions for the virus," Saladin added, "and what they've found is that one drop of the potion is all that's needed to alleviate whatever symptoms, and that it should be applied externally, not orally or internally. In the past few days, they've made many strides in creating potions, and have made some to alleviate some of the pain that patients go through."

"But nothing for a cure," Bloom pointed out, "until now."

"This changes everything," Avalon told Narayanan. "You need to have the best chemists of Magix work on reproducing this antidote. That's the only way!"

"What if it _can't _be reproduced?"

Everyone turned towards Tecna. The Zenithian fairy frowned, looking nervously at the chalice.

"It's entirely possible it may not be able to happen," she said. "Vasiliev would've probably fed the virus something from the test-tubes. Now that the circular room no longer exists, it may be impossible to reproduce it."

"She's right," a voice behind them said. The two Nakamura doctors walked into the room, wearing their lab-coats. Mirta's eyes shot up in dismay as she saw them.

"What you have is enough," Mirta's father said to the president. "At an approximation, one drop will heal one-hundred people."

"That antidote is a medical-miracle," Mirta's mother whispered. "I can sense, however, that its strength comes from the crushed _flores de iris _inside of it. If you do not use it within the next twenty-four hours, it will be quite useless."

"But how do we use it?" Narayanan asked.

"We can analyze its chemical composition in our lab," Mirta's father said, "and then you must use it. If we have our work done by tonight, you can use the antidote, spreading it to all of the patients."

"But we can't possibly get the antidote to every single patient on Magix within that time!" Narayanan gasped in horror. "There's no way!"

"But if the antidote only needs to be spread through external touch, not internal consumption," Faragonda said slowly, "then maybe magic is the key. I know of a spell we can use to spread the antidote all over Magix, to seek out every infected place" –

"With droplets of the antidote!" Flora finished. "That's perfect!"

"It'll take a lot of precision," Griffin said, "but we are ready." She turned towards Faragonda. "And we need your girls there, too, to lend us their magical energy. Tonight, at the full moon and the equinox."

"You got it," Bloom declared. "We'll be there!"

* * *

The girls were silent as they walked into the forest. The Specialists were with them, as were Mirta's parents. Above them, the full moon hung high in the clear, dark night.

Bloom couldn't believe how much things had changed. Zenith was restored to its former glory, held under dictatorship no more. And now Tecna was back with them, all of them reunited once more.

Most importantly, they had a chance to eradicate Vasiliev's disease.

Of course, not everything was perfect. Although everyone had been delighted to have Tecna back, she had gotten quite overwhelmed by the amount of people around her; obviously, she wasn't used to having so many people around. _She still clearly has some kind of trauma from all the incidents. _They weren't sure about how to speak to her, or how to help her through it.

Mirta had also had a talk with her parents earlier that afternoon, a very difficult one. At Mirta's request, Bloom and Flora had watched from their dorm-window, unbeknownst to both of Mirta's parents. They'd stared as Mirta spoke to her parents, sadness in her voice.

"Mother, Father," she said, "I know I lied to you all this time, and I'm sorry about it. If I could have gone back in time and told you everything, I would have. But I'm not ashamed of who I am. I've made some unlikely friends, and I've had my girlfriend to support me the entire way. And I'm proud of the accomplishments I've made."

"You've disgraced us," her father said coldly. "Not only did you lie to us, but you also have been keeping so many things from us. You're dating a… a _girl_. And, even worse, you've become a _pixie_."

The girls let out inaudible gasps. _How dare he use that racial slur against us? _Next to them, their pixies looked extremely indignant.

"Renounce your ways immediately," her mother snarled. "If you admit your wrongdoing and come back to our temple, we will accept you. If not" – she left the threat hanging in the air.

"I figured it'd come to this," Mirta said sadly. "But here's the thing. I don't need your validation anymore to be who I am. If I keep chasing after external validation, especially in places where I don't belong, I'll be unhappy. I'm sorry it had to be this way." She turned around. "Goodbye." She headed into the school-building, not looking back.

Bloom watched as Flora broke down into sobs, and went to comfort her. She knew that the way forward would never be easy for Mirta, no more than it was for Tecna. There was no magical happy-ending, not the one she'd imagined would follow after every one of her adventures at Alfea. _But at least she has a family. _No matter how long Flora and Mirta stayed together, the Whisperian fairy would always have a home with Flora's family. _And we'll always support her through everything._ She let out a sigh as she prepared for that night's ceremony, helping Flora pull herself together.

That night, they arrived at the grove, the same one where they'd gone to that day when Flora and Mirta had accidentally come out to their friends. _The place where we messed everything up – and now the place where we'll fix it._ Faragonda, Saladin, Griffin, President Narayanan, and the Guardian Pixies were at the water's edge, along with the warriors of Fortress Roccaluce. Around them was a group of curious spectators and newscasters. They were being blocked by magical caution-tape, a good distance away from the girls, but Bloom still felt their stares searing her.

_I'm not the anonymous Earth girl I once was. _Over the years, she'd had to get used to plenty of media attention, especially after she saved Alfea from the siege and been announced as the Princess of Domino. Thinking of her Dominian family brought her plenty of courage as she stared forward.

_Bloom_, Daphne's voice called to her. She felt her sister's essence in the water, calling to her. _Are you ready?_

_Yes_, Bloom answered. She turned towards her headmistress. The elderly woman nodded at Bloom, motioning for her to ignite a fire at the base of Lake Roccaluce.

"Come," she said. Bloom ignited her Dragon Fire, watching as it blazed on the stick, scorching the earth, kissing the water, and heating the air. The three headmasters and their respective Guardian Pixies surrounded the fire in a circle.

"Are you ready, girls?" Griffin asked.

"We are!" Stella declared. Faragonda had told them what they needed to do, and they were now ready. "Let's go!"

"Very well then." Griffin poured the vial of antidote into the flame. Immediately, the fire sizzled, and the Guardian Pixies stabilized it. Faragonda, Griffin, and Saladin chanted in ancient Runica:

_"Per partum Magnus Draco scriptor potentia ignis,_

_"Vitiis nemo sine morbo antidoto,_

_'Et virtute supereminens in sacrificium:_

_"Vocamus super te, extirpare morbos et hoc Magix in gloriam suam!"_

A green light shot out of Faragonda's hands, purple from Griffin, and orange from Saladin. The three of them were connected by the magical thread, sending a healing energy forth.

"Now, girls!" Faragonda shouted. "Give us all the fairy-dust you have!"

The girls transformed into their Enchantix. Unleashing their fairy-dust, Flora, Stella, Musa, Layla, and Tecna held it over the fire. Green, yellow, pink, purple, and orange sparkles coated it, glimmering magnificently. The girls held hands, focusing their energy into the fire.

"Now!" Bloom called.

"Musical harmony!" Musa shouted. A pink burst of energy shot out of her chest.

"Aquatic cleansing!" Layla called. A purple, plasma-like energy shot out of her chest, combining with Musa's.

"Call of Mother Nature!" Flora added. Green floral energy combined with Musa and Layla's.

_It's working_, Bloom thought in awe. She stared at the beautiful colors, healing the world with its power. The spectators gasped in awe.

"Soothing moonlight!" Stella yelled, pulling from the full-moon. Yellow energy, like rays of sunlight, shot out passionately.

"Electrical connection," Tecna smiled. Orange electricity swarmed around the sphere of energy, sizzling it with power.

_And last, my turn. _Bloom focused her power on the Dragon Fire. She felt the heat warming her heart, and opened her mouth.

"Dragon's essence," she breathed. A dragon shot out of her chest, joining with the other girls' powers. They shot the sphere towards the fire, allowing it to be dissolved.

The essence of their magic flew into the fire, sizzling deeply. And then a rainbow shot out of its depths. Bloom stared in amazement as streaks of baby pink, watery purple, floral green, sunny yellow, neon orange, and fiery red shot through the sky. Healing energy rained down on them, and they stared in surprise.

"A Winx Rainbow at last," Flora whispered.

The healing rainbow shot over Ganga Hospital. Bloom watched as it rained down into the hospital, curing people by the thousands. Cries of relief and happiness could be heard from inside.

They flew over to the hospital, watching as the staff opened it up. A crowd had already gathered there, besieging the nurses as always. But the wary expressions on the nurses' faces were gone – instead, they were jubilant and relieved. They let their patients out, who cried out in delight as they saw their loved-ones.

"I can't believe it!" Flora cried. "We did it!" She grabbed Tecna in a hug.

Bloom smiled, gazing around at everyone. People all around them seemed happy, though some were sad, as their loved-ones had died before the spell had taken effect. _I hope that's not the case for us… _She watched Stella's expression, seeing how worried she was.

They waited for hours. Soon the crowd began to disperse, and there was no one left except for them. Many reporters came by, but they shooed all of them away.

Bloom stared at Stella, who was still looking downcast. She put her arm around her friend's shoulder as she wept, tears falling from her eyes.

"I can't believe it," she sniffed. "After all we did, we were still too late. He's forever gone."

"We can't give up yet, Stel," Tecna said. "Come on, let's go check with the front desk and ask" –

A bottle of Downland perfume fell at Stella's feet. She looked up in astonishment, at who'd dropped it to the ground. She let out a shout.

"_SNOOKUMS_!" she cried, flying up and grabbing him in a hug.

Brandon was standing on a flying-saucer, grinning. He embraced his girlfriend tightly, and she let out a laugh of joy. Wiping her tears, Bloom stared at Brandon in amazement. "Where'd you come from?"

"He was very ill indeed," a voice said. Queen Amentia of Downland was smiling at them. "Through much persuasion, your president convinced me to take in some of the sick, due to Magix's overflow. I had them set up at the outer-ring, of course, so that no germs would get into the city." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"When I saw your boyfriend, his symmetrical face covered in warts, I knew I had to do _something_. That was so _not _a fashion-statement."

"She's even worse than you," Musa said, and the rest of the girls giggled.

"The servants sprayed him with concealer and perfume," Amentia continued. "Would you believe it, we were able to get rid of the sight and smell of those ugly warts. And then the healing rainbow came there, and I knew everyone was safe"…

"Thank you so much, Your Highness," Brandon said, trying to smile through his grimace. The perfume was very strong indeed, and Bloom resisted a gag as it wafted over to her. Stella, though, didn't seem to mind at all.

"I'll take a smelly snookums over none at all!" she declared, grabbing him tightly. The rest of the girls cheered. Stella turned towards the others, a smile on her face.

"So," she said, "what do you say about a celebratory reunion sleepover?"

* * *

A sense of peace had come over Alfea's campus. It was shining more beautifully than Tecna had ever remembered it, the turrets gleaming and the quad brilliantly green. Crocuses were just starting to come up. Late Duomensis, and spring had come well on its way.

Reporters kept milling at the Alfea gates, but were consistently turned away. The few times the girls went into Magix, they were mobbed by reporters. They wanted to know how they'd gone into Zenith and defeated Valtor, how they'd cured the disease, how Bloom's Dragon Fire had restored Zenith to its former glory. How Cyros, a twelve-year-old boy, had managed to survive a millennium in an iceberg.

But most of all, everyone wanted to know about Tecna – Anastasia the Resurrected. How _she'd _survived the fall into the Omega Portal, landing safely in the icy realm. How she'd survived months there, with no one but Cyros for company. How she'd survived the disease without taking the antidote.

Tecna didn't have many of the answers herself. A part of her didn't understand why she wasn't in the Overworld, why she was still walking the earth. There were still many questions she held in her heart, too.

But she was learning not to blame herself for what she had no control over. After all, perfection wasn't the goal – she could only strive towards a better tomorrow. Not to mention, she was learning that it was really fun to be alive. To play video-games with Digit, go to the forest with Flora, to Magix with the girls, to laugh at Stella's antics, admire Musa's flute-playing, Layla's dancing, and Bloom's cooking. To live like she'd never lived before.

_There's no need to pretend to be someone I'm not any longer. _Her experiences this year had engrained that into her mind. No longer did she need to live with regret, or pain, or sorrow. Pure liberation lived in every part of her spirit, allowing her to be the girl she truly was.

On Duomensis 15, three weeks before the end of the term, the Alfea staff threw a party. Unlike the party at New Year's Eve, which Tecna had not been to, this one was much more casual. Everyone was in their pajamas, wearing masks around their faces; it had been nicknamed a "maskerade". Although the virus was gone for now, which had removed the social-distancing requirement, there was always the chance that it would come back. No one would be one-hundred percent safe until the vaccine was created, which would still be a good few months. But thanks to their access to the virus's genome and the antidote's chemical makeup, they felt much safer than before.

Tecna smiled at her reflection in the mirror. That week, Stella had insisted on buying Tecna new clothes, and had gotten her a purple-and-turquoise set of pajamas. It brought out the fullness in her cheeks and brought out the blue in her eyes. She smiled, seeing how much she'd grown in the past months –

"Tecna, this is for you," Musa called, holding out a phone. In surprise, Tecna opened it, staring at the caller ID. She pressed 'ACCEPT', opening the phone.

"_Sestra_!" Cyros grinned. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you, too," Tecna sighed. All of the girls eagerly crowded around to hear news from Cyros. "How've you been?"

"Life is so _boring _here," Cyros complained. "I'm always at meetings and stuff like that! It gets kinda overwhelming, honestly, not knowing what to do for all these people" –

"You'll learn," Tecna answered. "I have faith in you, Prince Cyros – or _King _Cyros, as I should call you." She smiled. "So, when's your coronation? Just tell us the date and we'll be there."

"Yeah. About that" – Cyros scratched his head. "I actually want to step down as king and abolish the monarchy altogether."

"Are you – joking?" Stella asked slowly.

"No," Cyros answered. "I actually think it'd be better if the people of Zenith have their own elected leaders and parliament. Oh, and I know what you're gonna say, _Sestra_. 'You need to take responsibility, you're not doing your duty well'" –

"I think it's a _great _idea!" Tecna grinned. "Although, it's gonna take some getting used to." Out of the entire UR, there were only two nations that were democracies – Magix and Summa. She thought it would be pretty hard for Cyros to transition Zenith into a democracy, especially given all the unrest and political turmoil, but if he could pull that off, she would support it.

"Cool!" Cyros grinned. "Oh, and Mara told me to tell you to say hi to Lover Boy for her. I guess you both have grown on her." He smiled. "That's really" –

"Miss Tecna?" Griselda's voice interrupted the moment. Tecna turned around, and jumped in surprise; Griselda was standing at the doorway. "A moment, please."

"Sure," Tecna said, surprised. "I'll talk to you later, Cyros."

_What is it? _She followed her out of the door and into Faragonda's office. Griselda closed the door, and she sat down at Faragonda's desk.

"Tecna," she said solemnly. "Unfortunately, you did not receive all the class-credits required to graduate from a UR Defense school."

"What?" Tecna asked in surprise. Her cyborg brain immediately began to calculate, adding up all the credits she needed to graduate Alfea – 5 for each full-year class and 2.5 for each semester.

_15 credits in Metamorphosymbiosis, Spellbound, and Aeroflynamics. 10 credits in Magiphysics, Applied Convergence, and History of Magic. 5 credits in Potions, Magiphilosophy, and any such Dynamic Electives._

She'd done all this, hadn't she? She'd grudgingly sat through all those classes, even though she was –

Then it hit her. She hadn't completed her third year at Alfea – which meant she hadn't received the 90 credits required for her courses. In fact, since she'd failed all the classes from the previous semester, she had _zero _credits from senior year. _If you delete everything from this last year, that leaves me at only 60 credits…_ She stared at Griselda, at a complete loss for words.

"I don't understand," she said. "Am I not going to – graduate?"

"Don't steal my thunder," Griselda snapped, holding up her hand. "I'm not finished yet. You received 20 out of 10 possible credits in Courage, Character, and Sacrifice. You passed the Enchantix requirement with flying-colors, and will become a Guardian Fairy of Zenith at graduation. In addition, you received the UR Award for Worldbuilding, the most prestigious award offered to any graduating-student in any UR school. Oh, and you were also voted 'Most Likely to Change the World' in the yearbook." She handed Tecna her final transcript.

Tecna stared at it in disbelief. She was to graduate with 120 credits total, out of 100 credits necessary (including Courage, Character, and Sacrifice) to graduate Alfea. Clearly, Faragonda had pulled a lot of strings to make sure she'd get her diploma. She stared up at Griselda, a huge smile on her face. "Thank you," she breathed.

"You will be pleased to know that Timothy of Red Fountain will also be graduating next month, with high honors," Griselda added. "Both of you will graduate with the Class of 1013."

Tecna grinned, gazing at the teacher. "Thank you so much."

"Oh, don't mention it," Griselda said, a rare smile on her face. She gave her a little push. "Enjoy prom."

Tecna raced down the stairs, down to the quad. The Specialists had already arrived, and were chatting with their girlfriends. Flora and Mirta were standing together, talking quietly.

"I know you feel sad about what happened," Flora said gently, "but you deserve to celebrate. Come on."

Mirta smiled up at her. "You're right," she said, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Let's dance." The two of them stood together.

Tecna felt a pang in her heart, thinking about what had happened to Mirta. She had been very fortunate that she'd made amends with her parents, and felt sorrowful that the same hadn't been afforded to Mirta. But she knew Mirta was very strong, and would survive through it.

"Good to see you again!" she heard a voice. Galatea was grinning at Musa, running up to her. "Glad to be back!"

"It's great to see you, too!" Musa grinned. "How was Melody, all these past months?"

"Oh, you know," Galatea answered, mock-shrugging. "Kinda tame, for a planet that was almost destroyed." She sighed. "I missed you guys, though. I wish I'd been here to help, with all of this virus stuff."

"Well, we're all safe now," Musa answered, "so we can celebrate. Plus, you nearly lost your wings in Septmensis, so I think you've done your part."

Galatea laughed. Heading towards the school, the two friends went to get drinks. Tecna smiled, happy she'd also been able to do her part and save Melody from destruction.

"Woo-hoo!" a voice nearby cheered. Stella was dancing with Brandon, holding him tightly as if she'd never let go. "Completely cured!"

"Yeah," Brandon said, smiling. "I had to rest all day so I'd have enough energy to be here, but it was totally worth it."

"I'm just so happy you're here," Stella sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.

_That's how I feel about Timmy_, thought Tecna. _Where is he? _She frowned, gazing around.

Behind her, she saw Layla and Nabu walking towards the lakefront, grinning at each other.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Layla," Nabu grinned at her. The two of them gazed up at each other, holding hands.

_He seems like a great guy_, Tecna thought. She hadn't known Nabu at all until after finding the Winx, but she liked how friendly and warm he was. _Are they going to – _She gasped as the two of them pulled down their masks. They kissed, united as one.

"I called it!" Chatta shouted. Practically the whole campus turned around to stare.

"Social-distancing!" someone shouted good-humoredly from the quad. Everyone laughed.

Tecna continued walking towards the gates. Faragonda and Bloom were sitting together, the elderly headmistress smiling down at her.

"Your Enchantix is still incomplete, Bloom," Tecna heard Faragonda say, "but the courage you showed on Zenith tells me that you're ready. I believe you have what it takes to find the Ancestresses and break their spell on Domino."

_I think she's ready, too_, Tecna thought. Her friend was so different from when she'd seen her last – she was so much wiser than she'd been before. And she was ready to support her in any way she could.

"Excuse me?" a voice behind her said. Tecna jumped, turning around. She saw Timmy pushing his way through a crowd of girls. "I'm looking for" – He stopped talking as soon as he saw Tecna, gazing up at him.

"There you are," Tecna smiled, taking him by the arm. "Care for a walk?"

"Of course," Timmy agreed. The two of them headed into Roccaluce Forest, silent the whole way. They drew to a halt at Lake Roccaluce, gazing up at the sky.

They'd only been here a week ago, curing the plague in Magix. The stars glittered beautifully in the sky, lighting the otherwise-dark lake. The half-moon was brilliant in the sky, shining with the intensity of a full moon.

"Remember the day in the Resort Realm, when we confessed our feelings for each other?" she asked. "I can't tell you how happy I was that day. You saved all of us."

"I know," Timmy murmured. "I felt like such a hero." He gazed at the ground. "It allowed me to fool myself all this time."

"Timmy, you _are _a hero," Tecna answered. "You're _my _hero. Look." She turned his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. "You saved us on Zenith, just before the ceiling fell on us. You came looking for me, when no one else would. But forget all that." She gazed into his eyes. "You're funny, brave, and clever. More importantly, you were always in my heart. In all those horrible months, not a day passed that I didn't think of you."

"You were in _my _heart, too," Timmy answered softly. "I knew you were always alive. And I also knew I would never rest until I found you. Even if you don't feel the same way as me"… He trailed off.

"I _do_," Tecna breathed. "Timmy, that day when we broke up was the worst in my life. I was in a bad place back then, a really bad one. Vasiliev hurt me to the point where I couldn't even express my feelings anymore. I was too terrified to tell you about him, not because I thought you couldn't handle it, but because it would change my life for good. And at that time, I wasn't ready for change. Back then, liberation sounded far scarier than subjugation.

"But you can't blame yourself for what I went through. I never doubted you, not even for a minute. Okay, maybe I did… But the point is, I now know what matters. I don't need a boyfriend who figures out all my emotions for me. I don't need a muscular boyfriend who will save me from everything. All I need is a smart man who admires me for my intelligence and will always have my back whenever I need him – in his own way. I never stopped trusting you."

"I guess we need to make a fresh start," Timmy whispered. "Start anew and put everything that happened behind us. We can't let what happened before get between us." He put his arms around her shoulders.

"Tecna," he said, "You are the love of my life. And I promise you that nothing will get between us ever again."

"I love you too," Tecna whispered.

They stayed like that for hours. Soon Digit joined them, and they sat silently at the lakebed. No words were needed, nor were any more declarations of love. They merely sat there, enjoying their newfound liberty and freedom.

* * *

"I'm so tired," Flora yawned. "That was a long night."

The two of them were in Bloom and Flora's room, warming themselves by the fire. It was early spring, but it was still chilly, and Bloom's fire warmed Tecna straight to the core.

"Want to sit with me for a while?" Flora asked. She had changed into her pajamas, and was now sitting on her bed, affectionately cradling one of her plants. "I'm not ready to join the others yet."

Tecna smiled, sitting down next to her best friend. The two of them were silent for a while, Flora tending to her new set of plants. She had just planted new flowers, and was going to plant them in the Alfea gardens before they left. They were already budding, a new form of life.

"I don't think I ever apologized," she said.

Flora turned around, surprise in her gaze. "For what?"

"For everything that happened this year," Tecna answered. "My aloofness, my disappearance, and then the disease"...

"You don't need to apologize for _anything_," Flora declared. "I'm just so happy you're alive and well. I don't think we would've defeated Vasiliev without you." Her eyes misted up.

"I'm happy to be here, too," Tecna agreed. "And I'm so glad you never gave up on me, Flora. All those months, when I was so depressed, you were the only one who tried to reach through to me. Thank you, Flora." She reached forward to hug her friend.

She could feel the Linphean fairy's shoulders shaking, and knew she was crying. Eventually, the two girls leaned back. Wiping her eyes, Flora looking up at Tecna and asked, "So, what now?"

The answer to that came pretty quickly. Bloom's voice came from the center of the apartment, calling out to the girls. "Hey guys, I have something I need to show you!"

Tecna climbed off the bed, heading to the door. "Come on," she said. The two girls headed to the common-room, where Bloom and Stella were sitting.

"What's going on?" Musa asked. She and Layla were heading out of Stella and Layla's room, and stared at them. Bloom was holding her laptop.

"I've been doing some research," she said, "trying to find my birth-parents. I've been trying to search up the Company of Light, figuring out what they did." She frowned. "But Faragonda told me there were six members, but only five are listed in these websites. How do I find out the seventh member?"

"Could it have been someone working undercover?" Flora suggested. "Someone with a secret identity?"

"I don't think so," Bloom frowned. "The Company of Light was at its peak two-hundred years ago, but the Realm Wide Web was only invented about thirty years ago. They may not have all the information."

"Or the seventh member may not be remembered because he or she doesn't have an important role anymore," Layla pointed out. "Everyone remembers Oritel and Marion because they were the king and queen, and Faragonda, Saladin, and Griffin have important roles in the Magical Dimension now. Maybe the sixth member is in-hiding or something."

"There's another thing," Bloom added. "I keep coming across this place called Hagen's Castle in my research. Apparently they used to meet frequently there. Where _is _that, exactly?"

"Could your parents be held there?" Stella squealed. "Maybe we can find them soon!"

"I'll look it up for you," Tecna offered. She looked it up in her internal computer, trying to figure it out.

HAGEN'S CASTLE, the result came back to her. LOCATED IN THE REALM OF FULGUR. NOT OPEN TO VISITORS.

And then it said, HOME TO FORMER MEMBER OF THE COMPANY OF LIGHT.

Tecna stopped, staring up at her friends. "Hey, guys," she said. The girls fell silent. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Hagen's Castle is not where Oritel and Marion are being held," she said. "However, it is still important. Its landlord, Hagen, was a member of the Company of Light. I'll look up more information about him." She focused again on her wiring.

SIR HAGEN XANDER ALEXANDRIA, the feed answered. LORD OF THE ALEXANDRIA PROVINCE AND MEMBER OF THE KNIGHTS OF LIGHTING CIRCLE. MASTER SWORDSMITH AND SWORDSMAN. FORGED THE SWORD OF SPARX.

"The Sword of Sparx," Tecna mused out loud. Sparx was the capital city of Domino, and the sword was one of the most famous in swordsmanship history. It was a magiblade, and had last been seen in the battle on Domino. It hit her like lightning.

"Hagen created your father's sword!" she gasped, turning towards Bloom. "Magiblades have a very strong connection with their swordsmiths. I bet you anything he'll be able to sense its location, and therefore find Oritel!"

"So that's where we're going next," Bloom declared. "We're going to find Hagen, and he's going to find my father. And you'll be part of our mission now." She turned towards Tecna.

"The Winx Club has reunited," she said solemnly. "We are now together, as a team. And I promise that we will never leave one of our members behind ever again."

"Sounds good to me," Tecna answered, smiling at Flora. _We'll never be split apart ever again..._ She put her arms around her friends, enjoying their solidarity.

_We have prevailed. _She knew that the Winx would always be together, for many more missions to come.

* * *

**So that's the end! What did you guys think? Were you happy with how Tecna reunited with the Winx? With the romances at the end? How did you feel about the plot as a whole? Please let me know!**

**I hope to hear from you all in future projects! Once again, thank you for reading!**


	51. Complete Timeline

**TIMELINE**

_1012-13 Academic Year_

* * *

**Spring 1012**

Trimensis 16, 1012 – School break starts; Omega Portal opens; Valtor steals Melodian relics.

Trimensis 20, 1012 – Flora's eighteenth birthday, Linphean New Year.

Quadrimensis 13, 1012 – Solarian Princess Ball; Stella is turned into a monster; Valtor steals Solarian relics.

Quadrimensis 15, 1012 – Stella is freed from her transformation; Winx settle at Alfea.

Quintmensis 4, 1012 – Bloom's seventeenth birthday.

* * *

**1012-13**

Quintmensis 6, 1012 – First semester starts; Tecna discovers Flora and Mirta's relationship.

Quintmensis 11, 1012 – Tecna reveals her cyborg identity to Timmy; Winx fly to Andros; Valtor steals Androsian relics.

Quintmensis 12, 1012 – Winx free Queen Ligea and Princess Tressa; Layla gains her Enchantix.

Sextmensis 1, 1012 – Alfea's homecoming; Eraklyon's millennium ball; Sky is potioned; Stella gains her Enchantix and is captured; Valtor steals Eraklyonese relics.

Sextmensis 2, 1012 – Winx free Stella and Sky, escape Eraklyon; Brandon is arrested.

Sextmensis 10, 1012 – Tecna comes across Vasiliev, collapses in Magix.

Sextmensis 18, 1012 – Stella's eighteenth birthday.

Septmensis 9, 1012 – Flora and Mirta try to break into the Golden Gate; Avalon tells her about Bloom.

Septmensis 23, 1012 – Cloud Tower witches attack Alfea; Musa gains her Enchantix; Faragonda disappears.

Octomensis 6, 1012 – The Winx go to Cloud Tower and free Lucy; discover Faragonda's whereabouts.

Octomensis 7, 1012 – Flora, Musa, and Stella go to Linphea; Flora gains her Enchantix; Faragonda is freed.

Octomensis 16, 1012 – Layla's eighteenth birthday.

Novemensis 9, 1012 – Finals start.

Novemensis 13, 1012 – Finals end; Tecna fails, must retake classes.

Novemensis 14, 1012 – Autumn break starts.

Novemensis 30, 1012 – Second semester starts.

Decemensis 3, 1012 – El Día del Amor; Flora's secret is revealed, the Winx are furious.

Decemensis 7, 1012 – Solaria is freed; Winx are punished.

Decemensis 14, 1012 – Melody orders evacuation; Vasiliev bans Tecna from seeing Timmy.

Decemensis 16, 1012 – Zenith attacks Apo, a Linphean militaristic base.

Decemensis 17, 1012 – Linphea declares war on Zenith.

Decemensis 31, 1012 – Winx go to Melody; Tecna closes the portal.

Undecemensis 1, 1012 – Tecna gains her Enchantix; Cyros is freed from iceberg.

Undecemensis 2, 1012 – Tecna realizes Cyros is 1024 years old.

Undecemensis 3, 1012 – Winx attack Valtor, free Griffin and Cloud Tower.

Undecemensis 8, 1012 – Igor and Annika Ivanov are arrested for treason against the Zenithian government.

Undecemensis 9, 1012 – Winx Club disbands.

Undecemensis 10, 1012 – Bloom leaves for Pyros, meets Maia.

Undecemensis 12, 1012 – Flora goes to Zenith.

Undecemensis 13, 1012 – Flora is attacked by Vasiliev, escapes and recovers laptop; Bloom is banished from Sekhmet, defends against the Trix, earns her Enchantix.

Undecemensis 14, 1012 – Flora returns from Zenith; Bloom returns from Pyros; Flora, Mirta, and the other girls reconcile.

Undecemensis 16, 1012 – Girls (except Flora and Digit) give up on laptop.

Undecemensis 17, 1012 – Girls meet Nabu; Valtor steals the Agador Box.

Undecemensis 22, 1012 – Mirta and Timmy defeat the Trix.

Duodecemensis 6, 1012 – Timmy leaves Red Fountain to find Tecna.

Duodecemensis 7, 1012 – The girls head to Neró to find the Water Stars; Timmy lands in Zenith; Tecna and Cyros search for Library.

Duodecemensis 8, 1012 – Musa's eighteenth birthday; the girls gain the Water Stars, make a pact on Tecna's life to defeat Valtor; Tecna discovers that Cyros is a prince, vows to free Zenith.

Duodecemensis 16, 1012 – Girls buy dresses; Bloom tells Mirta to tell her parents; Timmy joins the Resistance.

Duodecemensis 21, 1012 – Address of Andros, Nabu's true identity revealed; Timmy finds conclusively that Tecna is alive.

Duodecemensis 22, 1012 – The Resistance breaks into the Ivanov house; Valtor begins his onslaught.

Duodecemensis 23, 1012 – Valtor takes over Zenith, kills Medea Alexandrova.

Duodecemensis 28, 1012 – Return to Alfea, discover attack.

Duodecemensis 29, 1012 – Tecna is captured by the Trix; Cyros escapes with her; he and Timmy are arrested; the Trix unleash disease, defeat Valtor.

Duodecemensis 30, 1012 – The girls defeat the Trix; Valtor is trapped.

Duodecemensis 31, 1012 – The girls are honored; the New Year's Party at Alfea is held.

Unimensis 1, 1013 – Cyros escapes the prison, meets the Resistance; Tecna meets Valtor, catches disease.

Unimensis 6, 1013 – Tecna's eighteenth birthday.

Unimensis 8, 1013 – The Quarantine of Magix begins; all interrealm travel to and from Magix stops; Alfea enters lockdown.

Unimensis 16, 1013 – Eris earns her Charmix.

Unimensis 24, 1013 – Brandon tests positive for the disease; the girls are quarantined.

Duomensis 6, 1013 – The girls test negative for the disease; Flora opens the laptop; Cyros's thirteenth birthday.

Duomensis 7, 1013 – The Specialists and Mirta are captured; the girls, Nabu, Avalon, and Palladium go to find Valtor.

Duomensis 8, 1013 – The girls break into the Zenithian Fortress; Musa, Layla, Flora, and Stella fall; Tecna recovers, heads to Zenithian Fortress to bring back Crystal.

Duomensis 9, 1013 – Tecna meets Timmy and Cyros; Bloom confronts Valtor; remaining girls, Specialists, Mirta, and Nabu regroup. Tecna saves girls from Vasiliev; she is saved by Timmy, who kills Vasiliev; Bloom kills Valtor; cannon goes out-of-control. Bloom stops cannon with her fire; power causes Zenith's flora and fauna to be restored; Flora and Tecna fully restore it.

Duomensis 10, 1013 – Girls and Specialists return to Alfea; cast spell to free everyone from Typhoon.

Duomensis 15, 1013 – Prom arrives; Tecna and Timmy reconcile; Winx Club reconvenes.

Duomensis 17, 1013 – Flora's fast begins.

Duomensis 31, 1013 – The Day of Bleeding Hearts.

Trimensis 3, 1013 – Winx break into Hagen's castle.

Trimensis 7, 1013 – Commencement of Class of 1013; Tecna, Musa, Layla, Flora, and Stella become Guardian Fairies of their home realms.


	52. Author's Note

**Hello, everyone! Today is the day of my graduation from high-school. As I write this, I am moved at what a tremendous impact this story has had on my senior-year, and at the support I received on this story. Thank you for everything!**

**I would also like to thank my beta-reader again for helping me edit this story. Thank you, CurlyValkyrie, for your hard work and dedication!**

**With that, I wanted to add some trivia about this story, and how it came to be. Here are some facts about AUP:**

· **The various different realms' cultures and peoples are based off of many real-life cultures, histories, and peoples.**

o **Androsians are racially African, and the names and language are Arabic in-origin. They have a rather conservative, patriarchal, and are very religious. Although Layla herself dislikes religion, she is quite conservative, which is part of the reason why she was homophobic towards Flora at the beginning.**

o **Eraklyonese are racially Greek, and the names and language are Greek in-origin. Like Andros, Eraklyon is conservative and patriarchal, though not quite so religious. However, its educated elites are starting to shift on those issues, which is why men such as Sky and Brandon are more accepting of female empowerment.**

o **Dominians are racially German, and the names and language are German in-origin. They are conservative and uptight, but quite warm-hearted and friendly. Having never grown up in a Dominian household, Bloom is much more carefree and clumsy than she would be, had she grown up as royalty.**

o **Linpheans are racially Mayan, and the language is Spanish, while the names are Guatemalan, Mayan, and Spanish in-origin. They are matriarchal, and extremely friendly and pacifistic, which is why Flora is so sweet and friendly towards everyone. Their religion is similar to Buddhism, and the priestly-caste practices nonviolence in every way it can.**

o **Magixians are racially Indian, and the language is Hindi, while the names come from various different Indian languages. The two different groups, Iyers and Iyengars, were named after two distinct Tamil Brahmin communities of the same names. The real Iyers and Iyengars aren't that different racially or even culturally, but in this universe, they represent entirely different groups. The Iyers are modeled off of ancient Vedists, who followed Vedism – essentially ancient Hinduism. They are very matriarchal, traditionalistic, non-materialistic, and syncretic with nature. The Iyengars are modeled off of Americans and American culture, due to the fact that Magix is such a stronghold of democracy. They are patriarchal, carefree, materialistic, and fierce believers in liberty and freedom.**

o **Melodians are racially Chinese, and the names and language are Mandarin. The nobility is quite stuffy, but the common-people are much more carefree in their actions. They can be quite competitive, as music is a very competitive field. Musa is much more relaxed and plays music for the joy of performing, especially since she is not going to become a musician.**

o **Pyrosians are racially Egyptian, and the names and language are from the Egyptian language. They are fierce nature-worshippers, and follow their traditions fervently, because they have to, in order to survive. They are also a closed community, very hostile towards visitors such as Bloom. However, they are resolute in their beliefs in freedom and courage.**

o **Solarians are racially Italian, and the names and language are Italian. They are rather cheerful and laid-back, partially due to the very sunny climate. Lunarians speak the same language, although they are slightly more somber. Although Stella is not as wealthy as Layla, her servants doted on her as a child, which is why she acts spoiled at times. Despite her shallowness, she is quite intelligent, and is strong at times.**

o **Whisperians are racially Japanese, and the names and language are Japanese. They are very conservative and austere, and are very religious. Many harbor a bitter resentment towards fairies, and fairies in Whisperia are often persecuted. Their history is inspired by Japanese imperialism, and the Fifth Dimensional War is somewhat of a parallel to World War II. Although Mirta's parents are not religious, they still abhor homosexuality and fairies, and are strong Whisperian nationalists.**

o **Zenithians are racially Russian, and the names and language are Russian. However, Zenithian communism is based off of Chinese communism, not Russian. Their emotionlessness is inspired by the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which wiped out ancient Chinese traditions, arts, and literature. Zenithian emotionlessness is an exaggerated version of what we perceive as Chinese emotionlessness – Zenithians have to show great restraint, out of fear of the secret police. They also have to be very competitive, as they have a huge population. This is a good part of the reason why Tecna has a low emotional intelligence until she reaches Magix.**

· **Tecna's character is also partially inspired by a Chinese friend I had, who can be quite aloof at times. She is very laborious about practicing the piano, the same way Tecna was so insistent on her computer-programming. My friend is resistant to showing emotion, and keeps her feelings hidden most of the time. This is not to say that all Chinese people are emotionless drones, of course – a lot of this is solely from my experience.**

· **I aged all the girls down a year (in Stella's case, two years). In the original, Bloom is sixteen when she discovers she's a fairy, and she turns nineteen a few months after graduating from Alfea, not eighteen. This is due to the fact that Italian students often graduate from high-school at age nineteen. Since eighteen is a significant age for many Americans, I wanted to change that, so they would be growing up like regular high-school students, and to make it more of a coming-of-age story. Plus, throughout the series, they've often acted quite young for their age. I imagine that Stella blew up the potions' lab during freshman orientation, not the academic year – that way, she is on-par with the rest of them when they start school.**

· **Mirta's transformation is partially inspired by a transgender person's desire to have a sex change. However, she had to hide both her sexuality _and_ her desire to become a fairy, which is why it was always hard for her. Like Tecna, she went through plenty of trauma, though hers was more due to bullying and the transformation rather than outright abuse. I felt badly having her not reconcile with her parents at the end, but the whole magic-fix for the virus was already a bit of a stretch, and I thought not everything had to end happily. Layla's parents have accepted her for who she is, and so have Tecna's, so I thought it would make sense to change it up so it's not always the same "I don't understand my kid, but I accept her for who she is" dynamic. I believe that Mirta has found the confidence to accept herself as she is, and has enough support to get through it, though she will always feel sad that her parents rejected her.**

· **I've always imagined Palladium and Avalon (the real Avalon) being in a relationship together. They date throughout much of the girls' senior year, and Palladium learns to trust Avalon, even though he feels conflicted by how the previous, fake Avalon betrayed them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to show any of it during AUP, but I would like to write a short-story about it.**

· **The virus, Typhoon, was originally NOT based off of coronavirus. I had already written about it before the virus hit. However, once we got our own version of the virus, I added elements of our situation into it – wearing masks, differing opinions, social-distancing, sadness at missing out on senior-year activities – all of those were written recently.**

· **Cyros's character and character-arc was inspired entirely from Aang in _Avatar: The Last Airbender_. The premise is similar: Aang, a playful twelve-year-old kid, discovers he's the Avatar, a spiritual incarnate whose duty it is to bring balance to the world. Similarly to Cyros, he is unaccepting of his destiny at first, even running away from it. He is trapped in an iceberg for one-hundred years and then wakes up, discovering that his people have gone extinct from genocide, and that he is the last Airbender. Chapter 24, "The Boy in the Ice", is a direct reference to _Avatar_'s first episode, "The Boy in the Iceberg".**

· **After graduation, the events of the first movie pick up. The girls head to Hagen's Castle, but Bloom is disappointed when she finds that Hagen can't find her father. She heads home for two months. Meanwhile, the others start their roles as Guardian Fairies. Tecna also becomes an adviser to Cyros, and has to help him get Zenith back in-order. They remain firmly in-touch, and work together after the Wizards of the Black Circle attack.**

**So, what next? I do have some projects in mind. I am thinking of doing a short spin-off story about Tecna and Timmy, helping Cyros rebuild Zenith (likely about ten chapters). I may also write a story about the events of the _Secret of the Lost Kingdom_, although I don't see that diverting from canon much. I'll be back with more information soon. None of these are guaranteed, but I would like to continue writing for the Winx Club universe. So yeah, I will definitely see you all soon!**

**Thank you, guys, for your support! I hope you all have a wonderful summer!**

**~ilovewarriorcats123**


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